


The Age of Guardians: The Story of Fireteam Kronyz

by Wolfy_Loveland



Series: The Adventures of Fireteam Kronyz [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-20 06:38:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 52
Words: 82,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11330508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfy_Loveland/pseuds/Wolfy_Loveland
Summary: A Fireteam of Old and New Guardians, brought together thanks to the horror that is the Fallen; they'll fight through the Darkness and come out into the Light, but how many will survive, and how many will succumb to the Darkness and the challenges it brings?





	1. Out in the Wilds

**Author's Note:**

> Woo, boy, this is going to be fun. My first attempt at a proper Fanfiction in years, requested by a good friend of mine (If you're reading this, YOU'RE WELCOME. And also, sorry it sucks so bad) and posted here to give you all something to enjoy. As always, Destiny and its associated characters are owned by their respective companies, I'm just the owner of the tall shit-stain of a Hunter. The rest are owned by the respective friends that sent me their OC's. (On that note, hey, anybody who wants a character thrown in, pass me information on them (Age, Height, Race, Gender, Class, and Super (Get creative with the Supers, I know I have)) and I'll work them in where appropriate) Hope you all enjoy my fun times in the world of Destiny! (PS. Pardon any mistakes you see. I have no one to look over this, and I'm not the best at this just yet. Doesn't help I'm running on no sleep)

Old Russia was known to be hell, even back before the world became a ruin. That hadn’t changed in the centuries before, and certainly didn’t change now. Luna knew that best of all considering her little brother had contracted a fever that became dangerously close to lethal in the past few days their nomadic group had traveled.

The only stroke of luck was that up ahead was a small camp with a handful of crates, possibly holding much needed medicine. Luna hated the thought of stealing, but it was a necessary evil to save her brother. There hadn’t been someone in the camp for two days. It had to be abandoned. Right? A few more steps into its perimeter and those crates would be hers. Fear of discovery was not on her mind. After all, if by some miracle the camp’s owner showed up, the scout rifle in her hands, and the dozen members of her group with their own weapons, could take a measly traveler. Or so she thought. Nothing ever reached her ears until a shadow fell over her, cast by the weak rays of the sun peeking through the clouds above, and a deep voice reverberated the air surrounding her.

“Is there a reason you’re sneaking into my camp with a weapon in hand? I’d hate to think you’re on a mission to kill me, for some misunderstood bounty.” 

In a flash she made the attempt to spin, maybe even threaten whoever snuck up on her, but there was no one there! “Sorry, can’t have you pointing that gun in my direction until I know what’s what. State your business.” 

That voice sent a shiver down her spine. “I-I’m just passing through.” 

The laughter was even deeper than the voice and shook her bones. “Yes, just passing through; slinking through my camp like a thief in the night. A thief with about....twelve people surrounding the area. One of which is breathing rather hard. Probably sick, possibly life-threatening.” 

Each word chilled her. How was it possible for him to know that? “One last chance. I don’t want to harm anyone, but I don’t feel like getting shot right now. What are you doing in my camp?” There was no way to lie to the man. She’d have to be honest, and hope to still receive help. 

“My name is Luna, my brother has a fever and can barely do anything; he can’t even move properly, let alone breath. We found your camp and thought some medicine might have been left behind in the crates.” A hum vibrated in her ear. 

“Fair enough. Call your friends out, and bring me the boy. I’ll gather the necessary medicine.” She didn’t know how, but she knew the moment the man stepped away, vanishing into the tent with one of the crates.

A single note whistle signaled her ‘family’ to come down, one of the older members reaching her first, Johnathon. “The camp isn’t empty, there’s a man here. He says he’ll give us medicine for Matthew.” He didn’t even question it, simply motioned to another man, who came and brought her brother to them. The sound of the tent rustling snapped her head around. Finally, she’d get a good look at the man. 

The sight brought a feeling of awe. Emerging from the tent, was a Guardian! A Hunter, specifically, who stood up and towered over any one of them. The man had to be at least seven feet tall! From head to toe, his armor was as white as the snow they could see off on the distant mountains, with swirls of dark blue held within it. No cloak adorned his shoulders, giving her the chance to see his helmet unobstructed. It was curved and horns sprouted on both sides to curve inwards, small ornaments dangling from them. A soft glow radiated from it. How in the world had the man snuck past them? The only weapons she could spot were a pair of hand cannons, one on each hip, and a knife on his chest over his heart. “This the boy?” A silent nod gave his answer.

Matthew was only eight, and the Hunter seemed to have an air of sadness around him when he knelt down with a small cup in hand. “This will taste disgusting, but it will help you.” Matthew drank it like a champ, making Luna smile. Like magic, the medicine went to work immediately. His skin was a few shades lighter and his breathing wasn’t so ragged.

“I don’t have enough to get rid of the fever completely. The Tower will have far better medicine. Looks like I’ll be leading you all to the City.” Heads turned in shock; this man, who had been about to be robbed by them, was already planning to help them traverse the dangerous lands? “It should only take another day or two at most, but I can get you there safely. I’d radio in for ships, but the Tower is busy with a festival, and I doubt I’d be able to acquire enough ships.” 

“A festival?” “Yes. It’s called Crimson Days; people give others gifts and spend time together with the ones they care for.” Luna’s eyebrow shot up. “Then why are you out here? Is there no one to give a gift to?” Again there was that bone shaking laughter. Noticeably, the others felt it just like her. “The opposite. Too many people. I give whatever gifts I can to the people I know, but I do so dislike receiving them, thus I come out into the wild for a week or two, until the festival is long forgotten.” A low sigh escaped the Hunter’s mask. “Unfortunately for me, we’ll make it there before the end of the Festival. Perhaps I’ll be able to slip out before I’m noticed.” The last part wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, but Luna shook her head.

Within minutes the camp was packed up, the crates vanished into whatever mysterious space Guardians always seemed to store things, and the tent roll was strapped onto his lower back. To the surprise of everyone, he even scooped Matthew up into his arms. 

“I’ll carry him, keep an eye on my six and I’ll lead the way.”

The trek wasn’t as rough as expected but the whole group made good time with the Hunter leading their way. Within a few hours they had cut through areas they’d never have discovered on their own. Soon the distant lights of the City were in their sights, with the Traveler hanging above it. “We’ll stop here for the night. We made better time than I estimated. We’ll continue in the morning.” 

The tent was set back up for him, and Matthew was given the sleeping space. After they were settled in, the Hunter disappeared into the trees and came back with a bundle of wood, quickly, and efficiently, making a large campfire for them. The roaring fire relaxed the group, the majority already setting up their own sleeping rolls. The only person other than her that didn’t immediately prepare for sleep was Johnathon, who took up position next to the Hunter, who seemed ready to keep a post to watch over them. “We can’t thank ya enough for the help, Sir. I don’t think we would have made it as far as we did in just a day.” “I don’t need thanks. It’s my job to protect the people. Plus, I’d never forgive myself if I hadn’t offered to get you there.” Even if he didn’t look in the direction of the tent, Luna knew what he was implying. Some kind of guilt lived inside him. Johnathon was the one to look that way. “Still, awfully glad ya did.” He offered his hand. The Hunter took it and gave a single shake before he stepped back. “Get some rest. I’ll keep first watch for tonight.”

Luna’s eyes snapped open. She didn’t remember falling asleep, and especially didn’t remember getting ready for bed, but she was laying in her sleeping roll, with a bundle of cloth under her head. The Hunter was standing in the same spot she last remembered him in. Had he kept watch all night for them? The answer came in the form of Johnathon huffing in annoyance. 

“Thought you’d wake me up to trade places.” “You all needed rest, I didn’t. Simple as that. Once everyone is up, gotten some food in their bellies, then we’ll make for the City. Once there, I’ll take Matthew up to the Tower for medicine. If you want, you and his sister can accompany me so he isn’t alone.” “I’m sure she’d like that.” 

Even while they ate, including Matthew who they fed what little soup they managed to keep, the Hunter didn’t move an inch from his post. One of the women in the group took him a bowl of their gruel, but he politely turned it down, stating he ate shortly before they woke. Soon enough they were on the move, in the same positions as before. The walls of the City soon met them, and to their surprise they could see a few guards, civilians, not Guardians, patrolling it. One spotted them and called down, the gates opening to admit them. The guard that spotted them called down when they passed through. “How many groups you gonna bring in man? This makes what, twelve?” 

“Fourteen. A good number for this week.” Fourteen?! Just who was this man, if he was going out to escort groups like hers? “Help them settle in, and make sure they don’t get separated. I’ve got to take the child up to the Tower to get medical attention.” “Can do.” Johnathon and Luna matched his pace towards the Tower in the distance. At the base was a handful of doors, but the Hunter led them to the one furthest on the left, an elevator, and they flew skywards. In a matter of seconds they were stepping out into a world of wonder.

Luna could see why the festival was called Crimson Days; beautiful reds and pinks were all around them, from the trees, to banners and lights, even the vendors’ stalls were painted a deep red. Other Guardians of all colors zoomed back and forth below them when they stepped out into the plaza. “We’ll have to check in with Ikora; she’ll be able to assess the child’s health. If he needs something more, she’ll direct us from there.” 

They slipped past the bustling Guardians, and down the steps into the Tower itself. Passing a strange woman, hunched over an orb, Luna heard the Hunter call out to her. “Greetings Eris, enjoy the present I left?” She visibly perked up, her voice almost a hiss at first. “I did, much appreciated. Return to me when you have completed your quest, and I will have yours.” “I’ll be back soon.” The hallway leading to the meeting room ahead was packed with more Guardians, but they parted for the Hunter without realizing it. The man commanded a sort of presence even among them. Up ahead were three Guardians, probably the heads of each class, and the Hunter was taking them to the Human woman, a Warlock, that must have been Ikora. 

“Need a diagnosis on a child if you have a moment. Found a group of survivors and the child among them had a fever. I gave him what little I had left, but he’s still a little weak.” Ikora’s lips curved up in a smile. “This savior complex of yours might be the death of you at this rate. This makes fourteen groups doesn’t it? Always so busy during the time of our festivals.” She didn’t wait for an answer, and he didn’t give one, while she inspected Matthew. 

“He seems to be fine, just needs some rest. I can’t imagine the trip here, before your intervention, was very relaxing. Take him to the medical wing and give him a bed. If one of them wishes to stay with him, then I can make arrangements once he’s settled in.” “Thanks Ikora.” That smile returned. “You’re quite welcome, especially after the book you gave me. Happy Crimson Days.” “Happy Crimson Days.” The Hunter motioned for them to follow, but Luna stayed behind long enough to give a small curtsey to Ikora.

The medical wing turned out to be the space above them; a smaller courtyard overlooking the City, with plenty of rooms on both sides. Some were empty, some weren’t, but the Hunter led them to a small room, closest to the balcony, and Luna discovered why as she entered it. This one had a window that gave them a chance to gaze out into the sky, or to the lands below. “A room should always have a view.” Matthew was tucked in one of the beds. 

“I’ll let you two take over from here. I’ve got to grab Eris’s gift and book it before someone realizes I’m here. I’ll come by and check on you in a little bit.” He stepped out as another Guardian entered from the other side of the room. An Awoken female, her lavender skin looked like it sparkled, with gold eyes that peeked out from blonde hair she was busy putting into a ponytail. “Oh! I didn’t know we had a new admittance.” Strolling over to the bed, she beamed at them. “Welcome, I’m Bianca.” A datapad appeared in her hand. “Who brought you here? We like to keep track, so the help can be acknowledged.” 

Johnathon shrugged. “We ain’t real sure. He didn’t give a name. Real tall guy, white and blue armor, a horned hel-” 

“That son of a bitch!” Bianca took off for the door and nearly smashed through it, coming back through with such anger that even out of armor it was easy to understand she was a Titan. “Of course he sneaks in just to vanish before I can get my mitts on him. I never understand why he doesn’t like gifts, but damn it!” Picking the datapad up off the floor where it dropped, she tapped something into it. “His name’s Odin. If he comes back in, stall him. I’ll get him one way or another.” The rest of her stay, Bianca cooled down and treated them like family, explaining little bits and pieces about the Tower, of the Guardians, or what the City below was like. She left when the sun met the horizon.

The next time they saw Odin, he was sporting a white scarf wrapped tightly around his neck. At the inquisitive looks, he chuckled. “Eris’s gift to me. I’m surprised it was this bright, but I won’t complain. How’s your brother?” “He’s fine, sleeping currently.” A hum and he eased around to look at Matthew, sleeping soundly. “Good, good.” In the silence, Luna remembered Bianca’s words. “Oh, sir, we never caught your name. I can’t thank you properly.” 

It was like a jolt of lightning hit him, and he jerked back. “Ah! Apologies, I always forget in my haste.” Spreading his arms to both sides, he bowed low at the waist. “Odin Volsky, at your service.” Luna smiled. “My brother is Matthew, Johnathon was the older gentleman that came with us. He’s down in the City with the others right now. And I’m Luna.” “Ah, named for the beauty hanging in the sky? A good name.” 

She barely kept the warmth in her cheeks from showing. “Thank you. Have you found any others today?” The mirth in his voice lessened. “Unfortunately no. Which can be good; no signs of others, means no one is in trouble. But, there’s always more out there.” Something caught his attention; across the room, Bianca was standing with her fists on her hips. “Oh no.” “Oh yes!” Both leapt at the same time. Odin for the door, Bianca for Odin, but he reached his target first. Unfortunately, multiple others were waiting for him. A handful of Hunters, Titans, Warlocks, even civilians, of all species, ages, and genders, surrounded him. Bianca smirked. “Thanks for stalling him. I know it’s in his nature to give, not receive, but there’s plenty of us that need to show our appreciation for him.” Her voice thundered over the group. “Better not weasel your way out of this!” Luna giggled and shook her head. Life was finally looking up.


	2. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna settles into a job at the Tower, and she learns a little about Odin's past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is where the real fun begins. There's a brief moment (you'll see it) where Ikora heals someone, another Guardian. The reason I chose this route instead of Ghosts doing all of the healing is because I like to believe Warlocks are far more attuned with manipulating Light than the other Classes, and are really good medics when push comes to shove. I also kind of shove a few bits around in the timeline of the lore, including a few events that happened before the game took place, cause come on, I couldn't resist. It's going to happen a lot, so I apologize if you're a stickler for that. Also, Vanguard deserve a chance to have some fun themselves yeah? (Oh, you'll see what I mean.) Enjoy!

A few weeks passed before Matthew was cleared with a clean bill of health. By then, Luna had found herself a job to keep busy; down in the meeting room, she actually ran errands for the Vanguard. It wasn’t difficult, just involved a lot of running around, which she was far more used to than others. Luckily, Matthew ended up working for Eva Levante, the older woman happy to have a fresh pair of hands to help around the place. 

Currently, she was standing at Cayde’s side listening to him discuss orders with another Hunter. At the time she didn’t realize why the Hunter’s voice sounded familiar, until they chuckled and the air vibrated. It was Odin! “How bad is it?” Incoherent mumbling. “Right. Nothing you can’t handle though. Get back in one piece, I’ll ready your payment and have Ikora meet us there.” Slightly louder mumbling. “Sorry, would you like me to have Bianca show up instead?” The resulting yell caused Cayde to pull back from his Ghost. “Ha! Fine, fine. I’ll send the reward down there with Ikora.” 

He materialized a sniper rifle, jet-black with some kind of webbing around the receiver. “Here.” Dumping it, with two pouches, one full of glimmer, the other some form of coins, into her arms. “Hey, Ikora, we have wounded incoming at the Hanger. Mind heading down there?” “Odin?” “Odin.” She shook her head. “Come along Luna.”

The Hanger was devoid of people; the usual were still here: Holliday, Dead Orbit’s representative, and up in the room overlooking them was Future War Cult’s representative. From the opening in the hangar came a ship that she recognized as Odin’s, only because of the color scheme; it matched his armor. It landed near the staircase they were descending, and the two were met by the sight of Odin dropping from the ship with a gloved hand over his stomach. 

Blood seeped from under it, along with multiple other wounds scattered over his arms, but still he stood tall. “Thanks for coming Ikora; the Fallen were far more active out in the Cosmodrome today. I took a few hits before cleaning them out. Hopefully now there’ll be a little more space for transporting civilians into the City.” Ikora placed a hand on his shoulder and Luna watched in awe as a light shone under them. Within seconds it was like the wounds had never existed. Odin rolled his shoulders and sighed. “So much better. Thank you. I’m going to wash my armor off. Hate blood on my armor.” 

Noticing Luna, he bent down to take the rifle and pouches from her. “Thank you kindly, Luna.” Rustling her hair with his clean hand, he stepped past and vanished up the stairs. “One of these days, that fool is going to wind up in the medical wing.” Ikora didn’t know it at the time, but her words were true. Days later, Luna was taking a lunch break in the corner of the Vanguard meeting room when Zavala caught word of heavy Fallen activity. “Cayde, Odin was last in that area wasn’t he? Can you get through to him and ask for a sitrep?” “Already on it, but the signal is poor. I’ll put it on the table.” An orb of light floated over the table, static playing back. 

“Fallen are moving, and I mean fast, I think” some of his words were swallowed by the static, but they all caught the end of it. “ Swarming the Gap!” Cursing, both Zavala and Cayde started calling for Guardians to get to the source of the transmission. Before orders could be followed, an explosion boomed off in the distance. “Shit. Zavala, hate me later, but I’m out!” Cayde sprinted for the stairs, barely getting in the courtyard before he transmatted himself into his awaiting ship.

Not even an hour later, Cayde was back, meeting Zavala’s gaze. “A horde of Fallen moved into Twilight Gap. The Crucible wasn’t active, so no trainees were harmed, but Odin took a hit. He ended up crashing their skiffs into each other and picked off the stragglers. Haven’t seen him that angry in a while. Should have seen that Golden Gun in action!” Ikora placed both hands on the table. “Can you blame him? We all know what happened at the Gap.” Luna’s voice faintly reached their ears. “What’s the Battle of the Gap?” All heads turned to her. “Ah, that’s right. You weren’t around for that. Ghost, cue it up.” 

A camera feed appeared on the table. It showed a massive army of Guardians, already battling an even larger army of Fallen. “We fought tooth and nail to hold back the Fallen from taking the Twilight Gap.” Ikora looked to the feed with melancholy eyes. “Warlock fires burned bigger and brighter than ever before that night, yet we failed to keep the Light burning for our comrades.” Cayde snorted. “The ammunition we spent covering everyone was so plentiful that even I lost count.” Zavala’s voice was surprisingly quiet. “For the first time in a long time, the wall of Titans fell to the Fallen. That night we saw Guardians become legends. And, we saw Guardians lose things far worse than their lives.” 

The camera feed panned out to show Luna the Guardians as the Vanguard pointed them out. “Saint-14” A Titan, bashing in the head of a Fallen Kell with his own head. “Osiris.” A Warlock, flashing between battles at such speed, to Luna it was like Osiris had made doubles to fill the spaces. “And…” Zavala went silent. Ikora gazed at him, and Cayde finished his sentence. “Odin.” The aforementioned Hunter was shown wielding a single hand cannon with another, smaller, Hunter at his side. The two gunned down Fallen left and right. “So many records are lost, including the names of his companions. He remembers them, I’m sure, but it’s hard for us to remember every fallen comrade.” 

As if Cayde’s voice had summoned them, a handful of Guardians took up positions with Odin and the Hunter. “What little we know, is that he went into battle with Bianca and four others; two Warlocks, the Hunter, and another Titan. When the retreat was sounded, Bianca showed up with Odin unconscious on her shoulder. She won’t give the Speaker answers of what happened out there, and if Odin is asked, he gets real twitchy and his hands go for his guns. Not even their Ghosts will tell us anything. What we do know, is that at least one of them was made into a Gjallarhorn. We assume it to be the Titan. Last I saw, Bianca kept the weapon with her.” The feed cut out. “Odin should be resting up in the medical wing. Why don’t you go check up on him?”

Luna found him in the same room Matthew once occupied, laying in full armor on the exact same bed. Bianca stood at his side and gave her a smile. “Just carried him in here. It’ll be a while before he wakes up.” The Titan realized there was something bothering her when she sat down beside the bed without a word. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” “I want to know about the Battle of the Gap.” Bianca’s head jerked backwards. “The Battle of the Gap? Why would you want to…” Her eyes landed on Odin. “You were in the room when he called it in. The Vanguard told you about it?” “Some. A brief video of the combat, names here and there. I saw a few seconds of your Fireteam.” 

An overwhelming sadness swam in Bianca’s eyes. “ Our second Fireteam. The last time all of us stood together...Saw us in action and wanted to know what happened?” That familiar heat rose to her cheeks. “There’s so little I know about the man that saved my brother.” Moving a chair beside her, Bianca took a seat and held out her hand, palm up. “The audio and video is corrupted at points, so I apologize ahead of time. Cue up the Battle of the Gap.” Again an orb revealed to her the sights, and sounds, of the battle. This time it was centered around Bianca, and by extension, Odin. “I need cover!” Static, in place of a name, “get to the center, launch a salvo of rockets!” 

The voice was clearly Odin’s, but she didn’t know who he was ordering to attack. “We didn’t have an official leader, but Odin was our de facto leader when shit hit the fan.” Her next words got cut off by the sight of the second Hunter enveloping themselves in Light, fire radiating off their body. The hand cannon gripped so tightly in their hands fired once, twice, thrice. “Shit, everyone, fall back! The line just broke!” Panic was setting into Odin’s voice now. Out of the sight of Bianca’s Ghost came an explosion, static replacing the view. Sound on the other hand, was still going strong. “Salei, grab Ayela! Bianca, Oru! We’ll provide covering fire!” The rapid staccato of gunfire overwhelmed his voice. 

When the static cleared, Luna saw Bianca cradling the broken form of a Titan. “Oru was the only one whose body we recovered, but that was later.” Odin’s voice cut through, a hand clamping onto Bianca’s wrist. “We have to move! Ayela is burning herself out to buy us time!” Looking up, Bianca’s camera caught a Warlock, Ayela, shining as bright as the sun itself. “Ayela lit a fire that could be seen from orbit. The last fire to rage from her, for Salei.” Right on cue. Salei’s name came through the feed. “Salei, get down! SALEI!” The second Warlock dove behind cover, but only long enough to draw in their own Light. “Go. If she goes down, I go down.” 

Salei rose off the ground as lightning flew towards the enemy. The two Warlocks fell together, Arc and Solar mixing into one. “Bianca, take my Heavy Ammo, make a hole for us. W-” a burst of static trailed into silence. “That’s all there is. The rest is corrupted. After Salei and Ayela fell in battle, the three of us pulled back in an attempt to evacuate. In the end it was only Odin and I, and only because I carried him out of the battle.”

Bianca stood and ran both hands down her sides to smooth out her clothing. “Any other questions, before I get back to my work?” “What happened to the other Hunter?” Bianca’s hands curled up into fists. “That’s...That’s something I can’t answer right now.” The Titan swept from the room, leaving a wake of grief behind her; clearly, the Battle of the Gap was still a touchy subject, though from bits and pieces of conversation, it had taken place countless years ago. For now, Luna turned to Odin’s still form. 

He jerked, sitting up like she had commanded him to just by eyeing him. “Damn. I didn’t think they’d bring me here.” Noticing Luna at his side, he spun to dangle his legs over the side of the bed. “Pardon the language.” Luna smiled. “Don’t worry about it, Johnathon’s let loose worse than that before.” “It’s an old man thing. We slip up way too often.” “We huh? Didn’t know you were an old man.” Odin’s bones could be heard popping as he stretched. “Proof enough for ya?” “Wouldn’t know it, the way you move.” “Young body, old mind. I’ve been around for a while. Not quite as old as some Guardians.” 

A chuckle rolled from his throat. “Like someone I knew liked to say, I’m aged like a fine wine.” A knock at the door announced Zavala’s entrance, the large Titan twisting to fit through the door frame. “Good to see you up. If you’re able, the Vanguard have a mission for you.” “No offense, but why are you here instead of Cayde? Usually I only get my missions through him.” “Because you’ll be part of a Fireteam. Two of my Titans require a third, more experienced Guardian. You were the best option.” “Fair enough. Where are we off to?” “The Hellmouth.” There was an subtle wince from Odin. “Right. I’ll meet them in Archer’s Line. Luna, give Bianca my thanks.” Throwing his scarf around his neck, Odin marched from the room.


	3. Voyage to the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odin descends into the Hellmouth with a pair of unruly Titans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for a shorter chapter this time around, but it was really just to establish two Titans as characters for later, and to set up for the eventual Raid on Crota. (Which plays an extremely large role in this story, as will the Taken King.)

A pair of Titans stood tall at the edge of the Hellmouth, peering into the depths below. The one to the left wore all black, armor completely smooth with a slit on the helmet to see through. The one on the right was their polar opposite; spikes all over their armor, and a bright shade of pink. The one on the right nudged a pebble over the edge. 

“Who do you think Zavala is pairing us with?” Shockingly, it was a male Titan, the one on the left’s feminine voice faintly responding. “Another Titan obviously. He knows we don’t work with any others.” They weren’t but a few years old, this trip the second one to the Moon for them. More trips had been planned, but the Vanguard, or specifically Zavala, announced that until they got over their ‘disdain’ for other Classes, they’d be grounded to Earth. 

That was a few months ago. A matter of hours ago, Zavala came through with the announcement; they’d be going to the Moon, into the Hellmouth no less, with a third member. From what they had heard, it had to be one of the famous Titans. After all, he’d specifically stated they were old enough to be a survivor from Twilight Gap’s original fight, one of the ones on the front line near the end. It screamed ‘Titan’. “All I know is, Zavalla told us to mind our manners. How often do we hear respect in his voice?”

“What are you two doing here?” A figure rose from over the ridgeline. To them, the lanky Hunter, Odin, looked frail. “Waiting for a friend. Buzz off Hunter.” Odin’s head tilted to the side. “Right. A friend. Not a third Fireteam member, by order of Zavala?” The way the Titans stiffened, he knew he was right. “You? You’re our third member? Bullshit!” The pink Titan crossed his arms, spitting out his words like venom.

Odin mimicked the pose. “You must be Yadra, the Striker. Quick to lash out, like Arc. That makes you,” he motioned to the other Titan, “Uier, the Defender. Pleasure to meet you both.” Both scoffed. Obviously there was no respect for him. “Try to keep up, Hunter.” They marched off, descending into the pit without looking back to see if he was following. “Of course. Thanks Zavala.”

Catching up wasn’t a problem for him, the current issue was they stomped loud enough to draw out Hive in every room they entered. Both used Solar shotguns, the light almost blinding them with how often they exploded their enemies, Thralls and Acolytes alike. As the Fireteam came out on a lower level of the rings that made up the Hellmouth, Odin spoke up. “Is there a goal in all of this, or are you two simply patrolling?” When he received no answer, Odin tapped the side of his helmet. “If Zavala was asking me of all people to come with you, that implies he wants you tested.” In the silence left behind, he continued. “If that’s the case, it can only be one of two things. A combat test, which I hiiiighly doubt is the case, or a social test. I’m leaning towards the latter for very obvious reasons. So tell me, what happened? Get treated poorly by other people? Discrimination for being a certain race? No, that can’t be right. You interact fine with other races, but only the Titans. Implying that you have an issue with Warlocks and Hunters.”

“Quit your fucking babbling, Hunter, and focus on fighting.” The venom was still strong in Yadra’s voice. “Hard to do when you’ve blasted all of the enemies. I can’t even count the amount of shells I’ve stepped over in the past five rooms alone.” Uier’s head barely moved, but he recognized the side-to-side motion; she was less hateful, but still viewed him as useless.

“Look, if the two of you want to kill everything, that’s fine by me, but if I’m not going to be fighting, then I’m going to be doing my job as a Hunter and observing my surroundings. Which includes you two. Save enemies for me, or start talking.” Uier cut in ahead of Yadra’s potential response. “You stay out of our business, and just stand back Hunter. Just because you’re a survivor of the Gap, doesn’t mean you get to butt into our lives like-” 

“Plus the counterattack.”

Uier stared at him, the air surrounding her telling him she found his comment redundant. At least until he kept talking. 

“And the Great Disaster before that, Burning Lakes before that, and the Six Fronts before that. Factions Wars, and the time before the founding of Guardians, included.” “Yarda snorted. “Bullshit. There’s no way someone like you survived all of-” “All of it, and then some. Being a Hunter, does not mean I’m weak. Just like being a Titan doesn’t make you stupid, does it?” 

That struck a nerve, if the fist coming towards his face said anything. Odin brushed it to the side with the back of his hand, using Yadra’s momentum to throw him against the wall. “I’ve been reading up on you two while you were waist deep in Hive ash. The countless altercations you two started over petty shit, I’m not surprised Zavala called me out here. I understand that it was because you were discriminated against by other Classes for being Titans, that they saw you as ‘animals’ that were too stupid to do anything other than fight, but that was a handful of people, and you have years ahead of you to realize that not everyone is like that, so stop being hypocrites.”

Yadra sputtered. “Hypocrites?! How dare yo-” Odin crouched down in front of him, wary of Uier, who had raised her shotgun at him but kept her finger off the trigger. “The first words out of your mouth when I showed up, were ‘buzz off, Hunter’. Followed by disbelief that I would dare tell you I was your third Fireteam member. Every sentence that followed was filled with hate, and mention of my Class. You didn’t even bother asking for my name before you threw me into the same category as the Hunters and Warlocks that ridiculed you.”

His train of thought broke as a roar echoed through the ring, followed by an even louder one. Odin’s head twisted almost unnaturally far. “They shouldn’t be this close to the surface. Not here.” Yanking Yadra to his feet, he made a circular motion with his finger. “Tighten up. If I’m right, we’re not getting back out without a fight.” Uier pumped her shotgun and lifted it to her shoulder. “We aren’t leaving so soon, we haven’t amassed enough kills to earn a proper reward.” 

“Don’t care. You heard those roars, didn’t you? The big guns are awake, and I’m not letting you two get into a fight with-” The roar shook the walls around them. Across the ring, they saw the large figure of an Ogre appear, followed by a larger than average Knight. The Titans had fought an Ogre the last time they came to the Moon, so they thought nothing of it, or the Knight, as they charged forward. “Yadra, Uier, get back!” The Ogre unleashed a torrent of energy from its eye, but Uier slammed down a Ward of Dawn that negated it, giving Yadra the chance to leap from the Ward, above the beam, and punch it. 

A sickening crack! Sent the Ogre reeling. A follow-up strike from Uier let them fire both shotguns into its chest, watching it disintegrate. The Knight was to be next, but the pellets bounced off its shields. What happened next chilled Odin to the bone. A cannon wasn’t raised, but a sword, one that absorbed the surrounding Light and sent both Titans flying; it had smashed the flat of its blade into them. 

“Get back, it’s a Swordbearer!” Uier was the first to stand between them, and caught the sight of the Swordbearer rushing at them.

With Yadra still down, the sight of it stumbling back under a sudden volley of gunfire shocked her, until she remembered Odin’s presence. Five thundering shots from his sniper rifle, Arc damage crackling over the Knight to break its shields, followed by countless rounds from his hand cannon. Too stunned to do anything, Uier could only watch the sword drop as its fingers turned to ash. Odin rushed forward to catch it, and pierced it clean through the Knight’s throat. 

It gave one last gurgle before it fell to its knees, and collapsed. “You two alright?” Yadra’s voice came from behind her. “What the hell was that thing? I’ve never seen a Knight with a sword that strong.” 

“Because you’re used to normal Knights, or the heavily armored ones. That was a Swordbearer, Crota’s Elite. There used to be a lot of them back in the day, but the Great Disaster cut some of their numbers. Now they don’t tend to come this far up out of the pit. Yet this one was accompanied by an Ogre….Strange. Come on, let’s get you two back to the surface, we’ll cut it short here. I have to report this to the Vanguard.” Odin ushered them back towards the stairs, guarding their six to ensure their safe return to the surface. Even when they made it, he kept an eye out until the two of them were aboard their respective ships and on their way to the Tower before he did the same.


	4. Rumble in the Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odin agrees to help Cayde settle a bet, and the whole Tower gets to watch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon how late I'm posting this (I know, I usually post every Tuesday) but I've been busy with work and barely managed to get this chapter where I wanted it. Enjoy! (Also, I apologize for how atrociously short this chapter is, but I'm moving onto bigger plans soon!)

“If there’s activity on the Moon, we’ll have our scouts check out the area. Thank you Odin.” 

He waved away Zavala’s thanks and stepped back. “I did what anyone was expected to do. I don’t want another foray into the Moon like before.” 

Cayde leaned on the table on his elbow, his version of a grin on his face. “Now that you’re back though...How would you like to make some Glimmer for us? And by us, I mean you and me.” Odin could feel his own grin forming. “You made a bet on the Crucible again didn’t you?” 

“You know it. Shaxx is sending his best into a rumble, and I’m sending mine. I even bumped up the ante; he gets five choices, I get one. If any of his five make it in first place, he wins.” “Only five? Too easy. What are the conditions?” Cayde motioned to Odin’s hips. “Primaries, melees, and Supers only.” The way Odin’s shoulders rolled, Ikora could almost visualize his eyes rolling. “Seriously, too easy. I’ll head out now, no sense in making them wait.” As he walked away, Ikora looked to Zavala. “Are we going to-” Zavala brought his Ghost out. “Close the halls, we’re taking a twenty minute break.”

Luna entered the medical wing to find Matthew; her brother was coming here more and more often during breaks or after his job with Eva was over. He didn’t say anything to her, but she was sure he’d developed a crush on Bianca. If she noticed, she didn’t say anything yet. The Titan was surprisingly giddy when she walked in, a fire in her eyes. “Luna! Just in time! Your brother and I were about to go watch a Crucible match.” “A Crucible match? Is that why you look so excited?” “No, I’m excited because it’s one of Cayde’s famous bets!” She placed a hand on their lower backs to usher them from the room. Matthew gazed up at her. “What do you mean?” 

The glee in Bianca’s voice was far from contained in the way her body shook. “Cayde makes bets all the time on Crucible matches, but every so often he throws out a wild card of his; Odin. He’s getting Odin to fight a in a Rumble match! Six Guardians dropped on a map, all aiming for first place. It’s gonna be great!” They made it out into the plaza and Bianca leaned over the railing to shout down towards the meeting room. “Eris, you hear about the match?” The familiar hiss came back. “Yes.” “You coming?!” Silence. “.....Yes. Save me a seat.” “Will do!”

Bianca managed to acquire a row of seats next to the Vanguard, seating Luna next to Cayde, Matthew next to her, Bianca beside him, and leaving the aisle seat for Eris when she arrived, so she could leave just as easily. Massive screens floated around the makeshift theater, some being projected, and Cayde snickered; the match started, three Titans, a Warlock, and another Hunter dropping with Odin, all over the overgrown ruins. 

“I love Rumbles on Asylum. Plenty of open spaces and close quarters to make everyone happy.” Luna was in awe of the beauty of it, the illusion of peace shattered quickly by one of the Titans appearing on screen, just to have a single round break his shields and a knife pierce his helmet. The words ‘Odin killed Teyu’ flashed in the corner. Shaxx’s voice boomed above them. “First Blood!” A flurry of bullets flew towards the direction the knife came from, but a trio of hand cannon rounds answered the volley. 

Another kill for Odin. Hell broke loose after that, kills flashing left and right. The majority were Odin felling enemies, not one of them getting him yet. From the buildings came a Titan enveloped in Arc energy, leaping at the figure Luna recognized as Odin. The crowd went wild; they’d finally see him go down!

Much to their disbelief, Odin jumped towards him! His foot met the helmet of the Titan in mid-leap, propelling far enough to avoid the shockwave, and spun in midair to put a few rounds in the back of his skull. The other Guardians followed suit in the attempt to end his spree, but they met similar fates; a bullet, or knife, would end their lives before their Supers could land a hit. Luna turned to Bianca, confusion lining her face. “Why doesn’t he use his own ability?” 

Cayde interjected. “He’s not one to use his Super unless it’s a dire situation. Always been like that. Claimed it made him sloppy to rely on a supreme power that wasn’t available when it was needed.” “Someone is close to victory!” Luna’s eyes returned to the screen and caught Odin in a standoff with the only Guardian not waiting on a respawn; the Titan he got First Blood on. As if by some unspoken agreement, both of them holstered their weapons and rushed forth. Fist met fist, and the Titan slid him back a foot, only to feel Odin’s other fist smash into the bottom of his helmet. From the collective “Ooooo!” from around Luna, she knew it must hurt. 

“Hey, Zavala, you ever seen Odin fight hand-to-hand?” “Hm. I don’t believe I have, Cayde.” The Exo practically giggled with joy. “Good!” The Guardians furiously traded blows, a feat not many non-Titans could achieve against enemy Titans, especially one that radiated with Arc like he did. Odin drew the knife from his chest and brushed aside his fist exactly like he’d done to Yadra, to give him the opening to drive the knife through the helmet and end the match. “Victory!” 

Cayde smirked. “Man, Shaxx is gonna be pissed. Can’t wait to get my payment!” Matthew was bouncing in his seat, amazed by the strength of the man who saved him. “That was awesome!” Bianca howled in laughter. “I told you!” As Odin carefully wiped the bloody knife on the grass, Luna was silent. Once more she found herself asking, who was this man?


	5. Forgotten Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna has a bit too much to drink, and stumbles across an old member of Odin and Bianca's first Fireteam. He catches up with his friends and Luna learns a bit more about Odin's quirks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo boy, I almost forgot to push an update out today, but here it is! The incoming character is a good friend of mine, and fellow Guardian in Destiny who I adventure with quite often, so who better to come aboard this train! Speaking of which, anyone reading this, I'm issuing a request for characters to use in later portions of this story; Name, Class, Subclass, Race, and approximate age (Old as dirt, or brand-spanking new, or somewhere in-between) along with a bit of a description of how they act. And of course what they might look like, and I'll give them a guest spot! Thanks, and enjoy!
> 
> Edit: I literally only edited the summary for this, as I realized I had stated Dan was a member of their second team, which is a lie. He's from their first, as their second fell in the Battle of the Gap.

Luna was off for the first time in months since her arrival to the Tower, and used it to make a trip down to the City to properly tour it. Naturally, Matthew stayed behind to ‘see if Bianca needed help’. Not that she minded it, Bianca was the best person for him to stick around after all. She treated him well, gave him anything to make him happy, and said nothing to discourage his dreams.

So many civilians had shops of their own here, plenty of Guardians spending hard earned Glimmer to help them out, but the sheer magnitude of the stalls left her stunned. The Tower only held a few vendors, the number of them down here felt strange. So lost in her thoughts, the bustling crowd around her was drowned out, along with the crew of workers transporting materials. Arms scooped up the unsuspecting teenager, lifting her from the pathway of the speeding vehicle. 

“A young girl like you shouldn’t be down here alone. Never know what might happen.”

Looking up, Luna stared into a glowing red slit in the helmet only inches from her face. It was a Titan that easily seemed far more built than Bianca, the obviously masculine figure’s armor a pitch black, with a wave of dark red that looked more like a stain than a shader. A Ghost the same odd shade of red hovered over his shoulder. Realizing she was staring, she took a step back and dropped her gaze. 

“T-Thank you, I didn’t hear them coming.” 

“No problem. Try to stay out of trouble.” 

Off loped the nameless Titan before she could say anything else. In her peripheral vision she witnessed Johnathon entering one of the numerous bars and decided to follow him in. It was only natural for her to ease through the crowd inside; she didn’t command the same aura Odin did, but living in the wilds taught her a few tricks. Luckily, the only real law when it came to alcohol was to not let children have it. At eighteen, she was old enough to be allowed here. Which allowed her to find a seat next to Johnathon. “What are you doin’ here Luna?” 

She wrinkled her nose at the faint stench, the older man reeking of beer. “I wanted to see how you were doing. Haven’t you already had plenty to drink?” “Bah, can never have enough.” Can’t beat ‘em? Join ‘em. Luna paid for a beer of her own. The first sip made her wish to throw it across the room in disgust; how did Johnathon drink this?! Sucking it up, she downed most of it in one go. The rest would be ‘savored’.

That had been the plan at least. Johnathon convinced her to chug it, leading into a competition of sorts between them. In the end, Johnathon was out cold, and Luna couldn’t even get up from the stool. Someone she didn’t recognize came to her side, mumbling something about getting her to a place to relax. 

Alarm bells rang in her mind. They were already moving her to the door and out to the street, heading the opposite direction from the Tower. No, no, this wasn’t right! The danger was screeching alarms in her mind, but the beer dulled her body. The only thing she could do was lash out, catching her kidnapper in the throat. Next thing she knew she was in the dirt, but it was better than in the arms of a stranger, who soon would recover from the weak strike. 

Pushing her body up she gave it her all to run only a few yards. That was when hands clamped onto her wrists, but vanished just as fast. In her drunken stupor, the blurry image of the red and black Titan came into view. “Can’t look away from you for a second huh?” He lifted her into his arms, much like Odin had done for Matthew. “Let’s get you to the Tower. They’ll keep an eye on you.” The rest was a haze. The only thing she caught, was the sound of a familiar chuckle, then a comforting warmth.

The next morning she propped herself up with one hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose with the other. “Fuuuck. I’m going to hit Johnathon when I see him.” Tightening the blanket around her body, she winced at the light seeping through the nearby window as she plodded towards the door. It wasn’t until she came out of the room, and walked to the kitchen a few steps away, that she realized something; this wasn’t her tiny apartment! Familiar voices alleviated the fears whispering in the recess of her mind. 

“How’s Bianca doing since I left? I know I’ve been on Mercury for a while, did I miss much?”

“Eh, not really. Bianca’s fine, albeit a little razzled thanks to the constant influx of patients in the medical wing. They cornered me during Crimson Days, and Cayde used me as part of a bet against Shaxx.” 

“I keep telling you to just buck up and face them during the holidays.”

“I’m sorry, this coming from the man that leapt off the tower instead of facing his own pack of gift givers?” 

“It was one time!” 

“And I keep saying bullshit!” Luna peeked around the corner of the kitchen and into the small living room. A couch, a few chairs, a small table, and a cabinet made up the room, with Odin sitting in one of the chairs, and the Titan she met last night across from him in another one. “Oh, Luna, good morning. How did you sleep?” 

“I-I slept great.”

He motioned to the Titan across from him. “He brought you to the Tower last night and stumbled across me. We decided you could use a good rest, so we brought you to Bianca’s apartment for the night.” Bianca must have good standing to receive a nice apartment like this. 

“Bianca’s apartment?” “Technically Bianca’s and mine, from our days as a Fireteam, but I don’t rest here that often. I spend more time in the wilds than on the Tower most days, and Bianca sleeps in the medical wing more often than not.” 

The Titan chuckled. “One of the few Fireteams permitted to stay on the Tower, and you don’t even use the apartment.” 

“Just because I don’t sleep here, doesn’t mean I don’t use it! All my stuff is stored away in my room. Where else am I going to keep the things I own?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The Titan raised his armored hand to her. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Dan Merris. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” “I’m Luna. Nice to meet you.” His attention left her for Odin. “Mind if I crash here for a while? I’ll be sticking close by to do work for Zavala.” 

“Not like I care, and I imagine Bianca will welcome having another Titan around.”

Dan rose from his seat and surprised Luna by pressing a button on the bottom of his helmet. A hiss of air echoed in the room. Off came the helmet, and the first thing she noticed was how pale he was. The second? The dark bags under his eyes. Running his fingers through his blood red hair, flakes of ash scattered in their wake. “Good, cause I need a shower before I do anything else. Been in the forge so long I’ve got ash in all the worst places.” 

He lumbered down the hall and Luna watched him go. “By the way, I informed Matthew of your location so he didn’t worry about you. Couldn’t tell if he understood what I was saying though. What, with the way he was too busy staring at Bianca.” It brought a smile to her face. 

“She’s the center of his world right now. I’m a little concerned of what’ll happen if he becomes obsessed with her.”

“Ha. Don’t worry about that. Bianca can let him down easy if something happens, and she’d never hurt him if she could help it.” The sudden movement of Odin rising out of the chair made her jump. “Heh, must not be fully awake. I’ll get you some food and drink. You’re probably famished after a night of debauchery.” Heat rose to her cheeks. “I-It wasn’t like that!”

Odin busied himself in the kitchen while she took a seat at the counter. The unmistakable sound of a knife on a whetstone rang in her ears. “I’m no chef but I can make a killer omelette.” Soon the sizzle, then the smell, of bacon reached her. Real bacon was a limited commodity in the world since livestock numbers had dwindled. Every so often their numbers swelled if trackers were successful but it didn’t happen often. 

The knife was a blur, the other hand cracking eggs into the frying pan. It was like Odin was putting on a show for her, hands both working independently to cut, stir, and fry everything until minutes later he put the plate in front of her with a knife and fork. It was then that she realized he was still wearing his gloves; did he never take them off?

Without thinking, Luna reached out and lightly rested her fingers on the back of them. The speed at which he jerked away nearly caused her to jump up. For the briefest heartbeat Odin shrunk away like a child first experiencing the sensation of fire. A second later, he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Sorry about that. I don’t like my hands to be touched.” The silence afterwards was awkward. It was broken by Odin shuffling from the room. “I should check in with Cayde, see if there’s work to be done. Enjoy your breakfast.” Then he was gone.

She felt bad for causing him obvious distress. One way, or another, she’d have to apologize. For now, she focused on the incredible omelette in front of her. “Where’d he disappear to? Thought he’d stick around to chat a bit more.” 

Out of armor, Dan was far less imposing. He was still broad shouldered and outweighed the girl by quite the margin, but without the armor he looked more...feeble with his sickly complexion. Clad in a casual outfit, he needed only to see the few bites left of her omelette to come to a conclusion. “Touched his hands?”

Nod. 

“Don’t hurt yourself overthinking it. Ain’t your fault you didn’t know about it. The man’s got a hair trigger with those things.” Dan plucked a piece of bacon from the plate by the stove and got a satisfying crunch out of it. “He’ll be around to apologize soon. Probably. I’ve got an appointment to keep, so I’m out, but Bianca should be swinging by with some clothes for you, so you can shower up before work. Have a good day.”

“Dan!”

Bianca’s arms wrapped around him from behind and lifted him in a bear hug! “Down Bianca.” She dropped him onto his feet with a huff. He returned the hug with one of his own, and smiled down at her. “We’ll have to catch up later. Maybe over lunch with Odin. For now, I’ve gotta get to Zavalla and report in.” He pat her on the shoulder and squeezed past her, and Matthew, to trot away. 

“Sorry we’re late. I ran into Odin down the hall and wanted to ask him a few things. How’d you sleep?”

“Great. The bed here was like sleeping on a cloud.” 

Bianca giggled. “I know, right? Best mattresses in the solar system. Plus, hardly used! Its owner tended to sneak over into another bed after all.” Not wanting to pry any further, regardless of her curiosity, she nodded. Bianca guided Matthew over to her, smiling down at him to signal for the boy to offer Luna a bag of her clothes. 

“I picked them out, sorry if they’re not what you wanted to wear today.” “It’s okay, thank you Bianca. And thank you Matthew.” She planted a kiss on her brother’s forehead and earned a beaming smile. “I’ll hop in the shower and get ready for work. Meet you for lunch Matty?” 

“Yes!” Matthew shot off to get to work; a busy mind passes the time. 

The Awoken Titan was next to go, Luna left to put her dirty plate in the sink, and find the bathroom. Dan apparently left the door open for her to find it, and even set out different products. They were in small containers, but tiny labels listed what they were. Multiple different soaps, but the smell of strawberries wafted to her nostrils from one container in particular. Remembering work looming over her sent her scurrying to hop in the shower. 

Half an hour later, Luna bounded through the Tower halls to get an important package to the Speaker. The man was as mysterious as he was remarkable. Up the winding stairs she climbed, to discover him waiting for her. “Thank you my child.” The air warmed up as he accepted the package. “The Vanguard have a hard worker in their ranks, hm?” It was impossible not to smile in response. 

“All good deeds are rewarded in time. Even small ones, such as this. Give the Vanguard my best.” When she walked away, she could have sworn she felt his eyes on her the entire way down.

During her lunch break she went upstairs to the medical wing to meet with Matthew and Bianca for lunch, and found the former asleep, and the latter reading from her tablet. “Hey Luna, pop a squat. Matthew wore himself out helping Eva it seems.” 

“It’s okay, he probably needs the sleep. What’cha reading?” 

Bianca looked back to her tablet with a sigh. “Odin’s latest medical report. Gave him a check-up earlier when I saw him getting all twitchy.” Musing over it, she didn’t notice the wince from Luna. “Does he get twitchy a lot? The Vanguard mentioned it before.”

“Eh, kinda. He gets tremors in his hands when they’re idle, or when he’s stressed. A result of the Battle of the Gap.” 

“Was he wounded?” 

Bianca looked up at her, and Luna swore the air between them froze. Neither breathed until Bianca released a low sigh. “I know the way you look at Odin; you’ve got a thing for him. A little too young for the old man, but I’m not going to stop you. You need to know this before anything, so I’m going to show you something you have to swear not to tell a soul. Not even the Vanguard. Promise?” “Y-Yes! I promise!” The Ghost hovered in Bianca’s hand. “The Vanguard don’t know about the severity of his condition. If they did, they’d retire him in a heartbeat. Resume play of the Gap.”

The feed showed Bianca take a hit from a Wire Rifle and fly backwards, body going still. 

“I’m ashamed to say I was knocked out for this part. If I’d been awake, I might have been able to keep him from getting hurt.” 

The Hunters stood side-by-side, hand cannons blasting away Fallen. Odin drew a rocket launcher to eliminate a Captain but the moment its body flew away, a Wire Rifle pierced the unknown Hunter’s throat! Tossing aside the spent launcher, Odin caught her body and drew his hand cannon with the free hand. “Come on you bastards!” The words were almost drowned out by a second shot, that cracked the Ghost working to repair the Hunter.

It landed in the dirt next to them. Whatever transpired next between the dying Hunter and Odin was missed, but Luna finally recognized the Hunter as a woman; a woman Odin clearly cared for. 

Snatching the Hunter’s hand cannon from the dirt it landed in, Solar energy coursed down both his arms, into the weapons. 

“Watching this later, it was the first time I saw a Gunslinger use two Golden Guns at once.”

Odin fired more times than she could remember, but Fallen kept coming. His own Ghost lifted the wounded Ghost and followed in the cover of his helmet, while he covered his retreat towards Bianca. 

A blast struck Odin, the resulting explosion shattered the left side of his helmet and sent him sprawling. 

Bianca rose first between the two, rushing for Odin. 

“I got him on my shoulder and ran for the others. It wasn’t until later that I got a look at his hands. Turns out, using two Golden Guns for an extended time caused the Solar energy to backlash. The nerves on his hands are burnt, there’s scarring on them, and though he claims otherwise, I’m ninety-five percent sure there’s chronic pain.” 

Bianca pinched the bridge of her nose. “I owe him for keeping the Fallen back long enough for me to wake up, and hightail it out of there, so I’ve limited the Vanguard’s knowledge of the damage to his hands. Damage of that caliber is a risk; it can throw off his aim, or makes him liable to lose control of his energy in rough situations. So I mean it when I say, they can never know what happened during the Battle.”

“Aren’t Ghosts capable of healing that kind of stuff?” To her surprise, it was Bianca’s Ghost that answered. “We were made by the Traveler, but we are not Gods. If a wound is left untouched for too long it will succumb to Darkness. I kept an eye on Bianca, unable to help Odin at the time, and his Ghost was busy repairing its fallen comrade. Many ‘what ifs’ are involved here. There’s only so much that can be done. Even we have our limits.”


	6. Demolishing a House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz assembles, and they bring down the House of Devils...but why does everything feel too easy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a little short, but there's a reason behind it (and not just because this Strike in the game is so ridiculously easy), one that I hope you all will enjoy in the chapter next week.

The Vanguard had called a meeting with ‘Fireteam Kronyz’, a name Luna didn’t recognize from the time, nearly a year, working here. Lo and behold, in walked Bianca, sleek armor shaded a midnight blue, with Odin and Dan flanking her on either side. 

“Now that the three of you are in one place, we want to take advantage of it.” Zavala’s nonchalant tone was deemed too boring to Cayde, because he promptly cut in. “The Fallen’ve been sneaking around and it’s time one of you did something about it. The House of Devils is a thorn in our sides. We think it should finally be yanked out and tossed in the garbage. Who better to give first dibs to than you three?” 

Dan hooked his thumbs in the belt around his waist. “You’re issuing a mission on them?” Zavala solemnly nodded. “Leave no one standing and take out their Prime Servitor, Sepiks Prime.” Dan nodded. “Raze ‘em to the ground, salt the Earth. We’ll head out immediately.” “Good luck, Guardians.”

They dropped feet first into the Rocketyard in the Cosmodrome within ten minutes, on the move the very second that solid ground was under them. Enemy forces were fighting in the Rocketyard, but in the chaos they slipped by and entered the Foundry that separated the Guardian patrolled areas from the House of Devils territory. Odin brought a hand up and quickly made a few signals; enemies up ahead. 

Simultaneously the trio drew their weapons. Odin, the hand cannon on his right hip, Bianca, an auto rifle, and Dan, a scout rifle. Around the corner was a group of Hive and Fallen trading fire, soon having the Guardians hitting them while distracted. Heads burst, Ether and Hive Ash filling the air, and the last body fell by the time they stepped up to the doorway that led to the House, to find it blocked off by lasers. 

Bianca noticed the console a few meters from it and let her Ghost out to tinker with it. “This shouldn’t be too hard.” A piercing alarm rang out, and she winced. “Never mind. They’ll be on us soon.” The two Titans crouched behind their respective covers while Odin hopped up onto the walkway behind them and drew his sniper rifle. When a wave of Fallen entered the room, he forced them out of cover so they could finish them off with a well placed shot from either weapon. It was routine to them, a task simple and done with the ease of years of repetition. Before long they were through the once blocked door, and standing in the snow gazing out at a Fallen Walker dropping in front of the door they needed access to.

A salvo of rockets, grenades, and concentrated fire dropped the Walker in a matter of minutes. The few Fallen that were trying to guard it tried to run and got in the middle of Dan’s grenade; it unleashed wave, after wave, of fire, pinning them to the metal door and burning them to a crisp before the door opened and they moved in. The short walk up was done in silence, only broken when the doors opened to their goal, and Sepiks Prime stared down at them in all his glory. 

“Dan, Odin, have either of you fought a Prime Servitor before?” Dan knocked over a Dreg and crushed its head underfoot, sending a clear message of challenge to Sepiks, who whirred to life and teleported to the back of the ‘arena’ to fire at them. “At least, what, twice Odin?” He ducked under a Vandal’s swing and jammed his hand cannon under its chin. Bits of metal flew and it dropped dead. “Once at Six Fronts, and a second time at-” He had to stop and twist behind a crate to avoid a blast. “The Gap, right? Pretty sure one of the Houses giving the Devils support had a Prime Servitor. We saw it during the counter attack didn’t we?” 

Dropping behind cover, Bianca snorted and tossed a grenade into the air, catching Sepiks with it. Arc danced over his shell. “Oh, yeah. Technically we didn’t fight that one though. Shot it a few times but Shaxx brought it down.” Cracks started to form over Sepiks’ body and Odin brought up one hand cannon, quickly channeling Solar energy to it and firing off three rapid shots. Bianca and Dan followed it up with a rocket each, and the distinct whine of death forewarned Sepiks’ explosive finale. Bianca punted a chunk of the smoking shell and watched it soar over the wreckage to land in the snow. “That was too easy.” 

Dan tore a small banner from the wall and tucked it into his belt, mumbling something about a trophy before speaking up. “They’re a large House, but they haven’t been a super power since they got their asses handed to them in the counter attack to reclaim the Gap. We’ll return to the Tower and give Zavala the news; the House of Devils are out of a leader. Others can mop up the remnants.”

News of their success had been relayed by other Guardians in the area; Fallen Devils had beat a hasty retreat in some areas, marking the victory of the Fireteam in taking down their precious ‘God’, so they were unprepared for the applause they received from Guardians on the Tower. Many were older Guardians who had fought against the Devils in large scale battles, while other young Guardians joined in simply because it was an accomplishment. After all, how often is a Fallen House brought to its knees? 

The crowd dispersed and they entered the Vanguard Hall to smiles all around. Zavala straightened his back. “Welcome back Guardians. Congratulations on a job well done! We’ve begun organizing patrols into the House of Devils’ territory in effort to hunt down any that remain. Hopefully in a matter of days they’ll be no more. For now, rest up; if another mission comes across the table, we’ll send word.” Each Guardian bowed in turn, and left to do just that. 

They crashed in their respective seats in their apartment and let out a collective sigh. Bianca took off her helmet and placed it on the corner of the table. “Was it just me or did that not feel...it, ya know?” Dan nodded. “Too much for too little. But, it’s over, the House of Devils has fallen.” It should have been a happy event. Why did it feel like the beginning of a storm?


	7. Enemy at the Gates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brewing storm finally hits, and it costs them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter was significantly easier for me to write, but damn it hurt me. My apologies for any mistakes, and I hope you enjoy the storm.

It happened barely a week after the Strike to take out Sepiks. The City’s guards slipped up, and never saw it coming. Up in the Tower, Odin and Dan were getting a check-up from Bianca, getting fussed at over little things, when they heard the explosions. Guardians packed the plaza and gazed down at the City, where a plume of fire and smoke was rising from the furthest section of its walls. Zavala’s voice boomed out above the din. 

“All available Guardians, down into the city, NOW!”

Bianca felt a hand grab hers and looked over to see Matthew staring up at her, eyes filled with fear. “L-Luna’s down there!” 

Cursing, Bianca turned to find Odin and Dan already in motion; Matthew’s words sent them flying over the railing alongside a dozen other experienced Guardians, using their separate abilities to cushion the landing at the base of the Tower. All of them took off towards the distant gunfire, either on foot or on Sparrows, Odin and Dan part of the latter.

The scene was chaos; Fallen Walkers, bearing no visible marks, had blown a hole wide enough for their infantry to enter, letting them surge into the ranks of civilians and militia alike, and busied themselves with making the hole larger once a foothold was secured. Fallen stood upon corpses and trudged a ways into the City before the first Guardians arrived onscene. They traded fire while civilians evacuated past their line. Luna was helping Johnathon get some of the children, whose parents were among the dead, to move with the others. They each snatched up weapons, auto rifles, along the way. 

Crouching behind a chunk of rubble from the wall, they fired in bursts at advancing Fallen when Guardians dropped to do the same. A Hunter neither of them knew squeezed between them, the woman resting the barrel of her sniper on the rubble. “You two need to be gone, like, yesterday. We can handle it from here.” A shot from a Wire Rifle threw her back, but between the two of them they brought down the Vandal who shot her. 

Johnathon yanked her into a sitting position behind the rubble so her Ghost could repair the damage to her wounded shoulder. 

“No offense ma’am, but I think we’ll stay.” 

“You won’t hear me complain.”

Left and right came Guardians, some falling only to get back up, and the Fallen were slowly pushed back step by step.

Ammunition was chewed up quickly, to the point of Guardians tossing magazines, or a handful of bullets, back and forth between each other to keep their guns firing. Even the Hunter between her and Johnathon would summon auto rifle magazines for the two of them whenever they ran dry. A slew of Titans dropped Ward of Dawns at intervals so they had cover whenever theirs was destroyed by the Fallen; Zavala himself even dropped one in front of Luna’s group when a rocket came hurtling towards them. 

“Guardians, forward!” With Cayde and Ikora both appearing to bolster their ranks, they pushed forward even harder, dropping enemies with each step towards their entrance.

Victory looked assured, right up to the point of the wall, when artillery from Fallen Walkers blasted the Guardians like hellfire. From the Hunter’s Ghost she heard Zavala’s voice issuing commands over the comms. 

“Sunbreakers, Voidwalkers, I want those Walkers shut down!” 

Massive fireballs zoomed overhead, Luna making out the distinct shape of a hammer inside them as they impacted on the Walkers on the other side of the wall, followed by orbs of purple light that exploded like miniature black holes. They rose from cover to move forward with other Guardians, when a storm of gunfire came from the retreating Fallen. 

Luna felt something impact her chest, but didn’t look down prior to taking her next step forward. It was like her legs refused to obey. Arms jerked her backwards, into another giant purple bubble. The Hunter loomed over her and this time she wore no helmet. The woman couldn’t have been physically older than Luna by more than a few years, eyes the color of the ocean and filled with sadness. 

Finally Luna followed the Hunter’s eyes and found a hole in her chest, right over where one of her lungs should be. Then the pain hit like a freight train, and her breath left her body, causing her to convulse.

Darkness clouded her vision, yet over the Hunter’s shoulder came Bianca’s face as clear as day, words muffled as if being smother by the same darkness taking her vision. “We can’t move her, we need medical supplies down here!” Two more figures entered the cone of sight, but they were moving towards the Fallen. Seconds felt like hours, and finally, finally, she recognized the Titan, Dan, and the Hunter, Odin, stepping past her. 

_Why were they leaving?_ _Did they not see her?_

Both of them lit up with Solar energy, thoughts flooding her dying mind. This wasn’t a calm, collected flame, it was one that raged and lashed out in anger. The realization struck her; her friends were angry over the dead, and were angry over  _ her _ wounds. It brought a smile to her blood-stained lips. 

In her collapsing vision, Dan was lobbing hammers at any Fallen he saw, while Odin’s hand cannon threatened to melt under the slew of bullets he unloaded on enemies that survived Dan’s rain of hammers. The last thing she saw before everything went dark was the pair of Guardians traversing the flames dividing them from the Fallen.

Up on the wall, Cayde knelt with his sniper rifle propped up and aimed through the scope. The plan had been to give support to Odin and Dan, since they were the only two Guardians pushing forward so aggressively, but that plan fell through the moment he caught sight of them. Dan had stopped throwing his hammers and opted to use them as literal hammers, smashing in the heads of Fallen he came across, wounded or otherwise, while Odin’s arm glowed like the sun itself. He toned down the power of the Golden Gun, just enough so each shot pierced the Fallen’s leg to maim them. 

_ Wounding, not killing. _

Dozens of Fallen were struggling to escape the vengeance fueled Guardians, but with their legs useless to them, it was only a matter of time before Dan crushed them with a hammer, or Odin with his foot. A handful made it to skiffs, but between the two of them and their abilities, the skiffs never got off the ground. At one point, a Walker turned to fire but was immediately blown to pieces under the combined hell-storm of Solar energy. Cayde lowered his rifle and turned away from the endless drone of hand cannon shots. 

_ They’ll be fine. _

Bianca looked sick, Johnathon held back by the Hunter, as her blood soaked gauntlets lifted free of Luna’s chest. 

“She’s gone.”

Guardians worked around them to help identify, and collect, the dead to be buried, while others searched the rubble for potential survivors. The sound of rubble shifting caught their attention, and Zavala stepped into view. 

“Who was patrolling the walls? Why did nobody see this attack coming?” 

A Guardian pointed over their shoulder to the ruined wall. “When I swung by earlier, it was Reti-4 and Gerald on this side of the wall.”

Someone threw a chunk of rubble aside and called out. “Found Reti!” 

The Exo was crushed, a distinct wound on his throat. “Shock blades cut him down. Fallen must have snuck onto the ramparts.” 

They inspected his weapon. “He got off at least half his magazine, probably took one or two out if he was lucky.” 

Zavala scanned the area. “Is Gerald among the dead?” 

A sharp whistle caused him to look to a nearby hut, barely touched by battle, where a Warlock could be observed throwing a cowering figure to the ground. “He was hiding under the corpses of a family!” 

The Warlock lifted him up and Gerald withered under the stares of countless Guardians, but most of all, he shrunk before the anger-filled gaze of Zavala. “What happened here?” 

“T-The Fallen scaled the walls, they were on us before we could get off a signal! I-I ran to get help!” 

The Hunter released Johnathon, but the man didn’t get the chance to let out his own anger, when the woman decked Gerald.

“You piece of shit! You didn’t go for help, you ran to save your own ass! At least Reti went down fighting!” The Warlock pulled him back up after he was struck. “Nobody must have thought twice about the gunfire; patrolling is mind-numbing, half the guards usually take shots at wildlife or conduct target practice.” 

Zavala’s footsteps rang out like thunder. “You disgrace the City by allowing civilians to die, knowing you could have prevented them, by the hands of the Fallen. The Consensus will put you on trial for-”

The sound of a gunshot split the air, and Gerald dropped to the ground, a smoking bullet hole in his forehead.

All eyes flew to the offender; Odin. He lowered his hand cannon, the weapon almost unrecognizable due to the way it had warped from overuse. Pushing through the crowd of Guardians, he scooped Luna’s body into his arms while Dan followed behind, shotgun raised in a clear warning; come at them, and you’d join Gerald.


	8. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz finds a surprise waiting for them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet most of you figured this was coming, but here it is anyway! Enjoy, and as always my apologies for any mistakes!

“Finally, I have found you!”

The words struck Luna’s mind like a hammer to an anvil. Her eyes opened to find herself laying in bed in the medical wing.

“Oh! You’re awake!” A Ghost flittered overhead. It was a dark green, like the trees she remembered traveling through as a child. Its single eye was glaringly bright, a shade of blue that reminded her of the sky above the Tower. 

It hit her; she was alive! 

Throwing off the blanket, then practically ripping off her shirt, the wound on her chest was gone! No scarring, not even redness, just gone. Like it never happened. “I repaired the damage to your physical shell when I brought you back. I believed you would prefer this to a gaping hole. I was correct, yes?”

“W-What do you mean by brought me back?” Even without a face, she could sense the Ghost giving her a bewildered look. “You were dead. If you wish for a more accurate time, you have been dead for exactly six days, twelve hours, and forty-two seconds. I discovered you in this room and resurrected you, Guardian.” A feeling of nausea swept through her body. It threatened to up-heave her stomach when her brain processed the knowledge that she had actually died to the Fallen.

Oh God, what of Matthew? Was he alive? Did he even know that she had been killed?! The answer came surprisingly fast. Voices echoed from the hallway leading to the room, Johnathon’s distinct voice reaching her ears first. 

“We have to tell Matthew, Bianca. He’s still waiting for his sister to be released from the medical wing. I can’t lie to him again. He deserves to know that Luna is dead.”

“I know that, but how do we tell him? She was the only real family he had left. There’s still you, and the others, but this was his sister. It’ll destroy him.”

“But lying to him will make it worse. We just have to break it to him and be there when he needs us.” 

The door slid open and Luna thought Johnathon was about to faint when he saw her sitting up. “L-Luna? You’re alive?!” 

She wasn’t given time to answer. Bianca crushed her in the tightest hug possible, the Titan forgetting her own strength for a moment. “I am now.” She leaned away and spotted the Ghost hovering over her shoulder. “You’re... Oh goodness. She’s a Guardian now.” 

Johnathon sputtered. “W-What? How?!” Her Ghost popped up before his face. “I resurrected her of course. I’ve been searching for a Guardian for so many years. What a relief I found one so close to the Traveler!” Bianca smiled, sitting next to her on the edge of the bed. “Can’t wait to tell the others about…” That smile fell and Luna’s heart stopped. 

“What? What is it? Did something happen to them?”

Johnathon laughed until Bianca’s glare cut him off. “Ahem. You could say that. When you died, some of the Guardians started poking around and found one of the guards that were patrolling, acting like a damn coward. Turns out he turned tail instead of warning others about the attack. Some people didn’t take kindly to that, but Odin put a bullet in the guy and Dan covered his ass while he brought you up here.”

Bianca sighed. “The Vanguard didn’t like the man being gunned down. A fair trial was to be planned for him, but Odin executed him, and Dan supported him. The two were locked up for a few days for it. Last I heard, they were going before the Consensus. What happens next is up to them.”

The door slid open again and a sigh echoed through the room. Dan stood in the doorway and it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Should have known this would happen.” He pulled a chair over to the bed so he could sit and inspect her. “Been a while since I’ve seen a newborn Guardian. Plenty of them pop up, but I’m never around for it. How are you feeling?”

“I-I’m fine. More importantly, what happened with the Consensus?”

“Ah, they told you huh? I’m grounded to the Tower for a month. Pretty lenient in the end, could have been worse, but really all I did was keep an eye on Odin’s six, in case they grabbed him. I doubt I would have done the same in his position, but, I’m not complaining.”

“What about Odin?”

“His trial was after mine. I wasn’t allowed to sit in for it, so I don’t know what kind of judgement they’ll pass. Not until we get word from the Vanguard. For now, we’ll have to pass on the news of Luna’s sudden rebirth.” His hand settled on her shoulder with a light squeeze. “Good to see we didn’t lose you. I’ll go speak with Zavala.” 

Once he was out of the room, Bianca turned back to her. “Time to see what kind of Guardian you are. Fingers crossed that you’re a Titan!” Luna’s Ghost flew between them. “My Guardian is no brute; she is an intellectual!” “Oh come on! Don’t tell me-” “Yes, she is a Warlock!”

“I-Is that a bad thing?” 

Bianca quickly shook her head to alleviate her concern. “No. There’s nothing bad about being any of the Classes. It just makes things harder on us. Dan and I are Titans, Odin’s a Hunter, we don’t know anything about teaching a Warlock to control their powers. You’ll need a mentor. The problem is, I only know one Warlock well enough to train you, and I’m not sure they would be up for it. Maybe Ikora can help.” The smile returned. “Ah, well, one step at a time. We’ll train you to fight, then we’ll focus on your powers. Gotta be able to defend yourself first.” 

Johnathon shuffled to the door. “I’ll go get Matthew, let him see his sister up and about.” Left with only Bianca, Luna twisted so she could plant her feet on the cold floor, reminding herself that this was real. She was alive. She was a Guardian!

Luna was called to the Vanguard Hall the very next day. After having been drowned in questions by her brother, it was almost a welcome relief to be away. Almost. She was met with stoic faces from Ikora and Zavala, but Cayde held a smile so big that she couldn’t stop herself from smiling back. Or, his version of a smile. Zavala cleared his throat to get her attention. “Luna, we are proud to call you Guardian. We wish to ask you if you plan to keep your name, or take a new one to memorialize your start as a Guardian of the Last City.” 

“I...I’d rather keep my name, Sir. It’s one of the few things I have left of my family.” Zavala bowed his head. “So bet it. Guardian Luna, I hear you’re a Warlock. Ikora will be your representative, thus if there is anything that you need, come to her. She will also be the one you receive missions from. Congratulations, and welcome to the ranks of the Guardians.” Luna curtsied. “Thank you. Sir, if I may ask…” 

“You wish to inquire about Guardian Odin’s trial?” 

“Y-Yes Sir.”  
Zavala motioned to Cayde with his head. “Oh, me, right. My favorite Guardian has been sentenced to the absolute worst punishment imaginable.” Each word bore upon her like stones on her shoulders. 

“Cayde! Don’t do that to the poor child,” chided Ikora. “She’s been through enough as it is.”

“Fine, fine, keep your britches on. Odin’s been sentenced to escort a Guardian through the Cosmodrome with another Guardian. The two are on house arrest, but we’ll let them go out only if to help their charge.”

Ikora’s smile, filled with such warmth, gave rise to her own, figuring out who they meant. “Thank you!” Another curtsy, and she practically flew out of the Hall. She burst into the apartment Bianca and Odin shared, to find her and Dan waiting, the latter armored up and checking over his weapons. “Must have gotten the news. We’ve got to get you some armor, weapons, and a Sparrow, but that’ll be easy enough. Should be able to get some stuff cheap.” 

Bianca plopped onto the couch. “Heh, out into the field with the geezers. That’ll be a fun adventure for you.” “Who are you calling a geezer? You’re pretty damn old yourself.” “Yeah, but you and Odin are even older.” Dan snorted and put his helmet on. “Come on, we’ll stop by the Vanguard Quartermaster and get armor for you first, then to Banshee for weapons, and Holliday for a Sparrow. You can do without a good ship for a little while, since you won’t be leaving the Cosmodrome.” They conversed while they walked to the Hangar where the Quartermaster was. “What kind of weapon did you use out in the wilds? It’s better to give you something familiar.” “A scout rifle. I liked having that precision coupled with power.”

The Quartermaster gave her some Warlock robes, gauntlets, boots, and a helmet all for free of charge for the brand-new Guardian, much to her surprise. The armor was materialized on her by her Ghost and it shocked her how comfortable it felt. Only a few yards away was Amanda Holliday, who gifted her a plain Sparrow and a ‘junk ship’ good for transporting herself between the Tower and the Cosmodrome. Next up was Banshee, who they heard bickering with someone the moment they stepped into the plaza. 

“I’m not magic! Do you even understand the severity of the damage to your gun? You melted the damn barrel like it was a candle!”

“I know I got a little carried away, but you’ve had the weapon all week! How’s it not fixed?!” 

“I just told you! Look, I’ll give you a replacement to use instead, but I only barely got the barrel separated from the weapon. I still have loads of work to do, and many other orders as well. And that’s on top of finding a barrel for the damn gun; do you know how rare this model is? Check back in about a month.”

“Fine!”

Odin’s hands were planted on Banshee’s stall, only moving them to accept a stock hand cannon that he holstered on his left hip in place of his ruined one. Odin looked to the side and gazed down at the shorter form of Luna, accompanied by Dan, and rested a hand on top of her head. “Glad to see you’re back with us Luna.” 

The helmet did wonders to hide the brightness of her cheeks. 

Dan stepped up beside her. “Banshee, the new Guardian here could use a scout rifle if you’ve got one.” “Anything for a newborn.” It wasn’t a fancy weapon, nor was it new, but it was in top-shape and good enough for now. “It’ll be good to have some range in our group. I use a sniper rifle as my backup, but Dan and I both use hand cannons as primaries, with the occasional scout rifle replacing them on rare missions. Come on, let’s get out into the Cosmodrome and get this show on the road.”

The three flew out to the Cosmodrome and landed on a cliffside, Odin pushing her away from it. “I don’t know why this is the designated landing zone. I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve seen an idiot step back and drop to the rocks below.” Dan snorted. “Or another push them off by accident. It happens.” They trudged over the land until they could summon their respective Sparrows. “We’ll go to the Mothyards, there’s plenty of cover and the Fallen patrol there in smaller numbers than say, the Divide.” 

Taking off at high-speed, they swerved past ruins of old buildings or entrances to underground facilities, and came up into the Mothyards at such speeds that they soared over the first wreckage of a plane to land on top of another. Under the helmet, Luna had a massive grin; there was a rush that came with zooming around on a Sparrow, one she couldn’t deny had felt kind of addictive. Dismounting her Sparrow and drawing the Scout Rifle, Luna knelt down at Dan’s side and scoped out the surroundings. “There’s so many planes here...I wonder what kind of cargo they would have carried.” 

Dan’s head tilted to the side. “You’re the first person to actually call them planes instead of ships first.” Luna glanced up at him. “I found a few books out in the Wilds. I loved to read them to pass the time.” Odin chuckled. “No wonder you’re a Warlock. Show us how good of a shot you are.” Through the scope a Fallen Dreg came into view. Quickly squeezing the trigger, she watched the bullet connect with the top of its head; it was barely a kill-shot, but it did its job. “Don’t be in such a rush to drop it. Take it slow; at this distance, you want to make sure you’ll kill what you’re aiming at. We’ve got our work cut out for us here.”

The next few hours was filled with Odin and Dan giving her pointers; hold the gun like this, not like this, or some variation. It was a mechanical process she recognized as something the pair must have done for many others. They’re rather old Guardians, aren’t they? Who was to say they hadn’t trained new Guardians like her before? It was after she began running low on ammo that she brought up a question. 

“What about grenades?” 

Helmet, or no, she knew the question confused her mentors. Dan lowered his hand cannon. “What about them?” “Well, where do I buy them?” 

That confused them even more. Dan shook his head. “You don’t buy grenades, or anything like that.” Demonstrating what they meant, Odin showed her the knife that he kept sheathed on his waist. Throwing it with all of his might, she watched it soar through the air, into a Fallen Vandal’s head, only to reappear back in its sheath! “Our Light manifests in certain ways. My throwing knife, and tripwire grenade, along with Dan’s equipment, they’re simply things we conjure with our power. You’re new to this, so it isn’t uncommon for you to not know how to bring them to your hand, but hopefully in time you’ll be able to tap into your Light.” With that, it was back to work. Soon enough, Luna would be a true Guardian.


	9. Preparations for a Raid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eris brings chilling news to the Tower, in time for someone to make a move on Venus; how will Fireteam Kronyz handle it?

Luna was in the Vanguard Hall, reporting to Ikora, when a scream came from the hallway. Not one of anger, no, but one filled with such pain and sadness that a pang of those feelings shot through her heart.

The source of the outcry was Eris, and she was clutching her head. 

“ _ He is returning!” _

Silence descended; who did she mean?

Odin and Dan, surging from their respective positions in the Hall, flew to her side at a speed Luna had never seen before. “Eris, what’s wrong?” 

Her fingers curled around Odin’s horns. “ _ The Devourer of Light...his sword hungers!” _

Unlike the scream, this was a hoarse and weak hiss of a sound, Dan cursing at the same time as Odin. “You mean…” 

Rising an octave, Eris twisted to look at him in an unnatural pose. 

“ _ He will come for the survivors first, to finish what was started...then Earth will fall!” _

Her body went limp so fast it caught them by surprise and Odin barely grabbed her before she hit the ground. Luna shuffled to their side. “Is...Is she okay?” He lifted the unconscious Hunter. “No, no she isn’t….And neither are we. The Consensus needs to know what she said.” Cayde appeared beside Luna. “What did she mean? Who is returning?” Dan rocked back on his heels. “Who else Cayde? There’s only one abomination that could affect her like that. If it’s true, we’ll need to hit the Moon fast and start bringing down the Hive.”

Zavala’s shadow fell over them. “Get Eris to the Medical Wing. We’ll call for any Guardians on the Moon to drop what they’re doing and prepare for coordinated Strikes. Odin, Dan, grab Bianca and ready yourselves; you’ll be sent as well. Hopefully if we can disrupt their operations, it’ll buy us some time.”

Silently, they did as Zavala asked, with Luna close behind. “What’s going on guys? Why did Eris sound so terrified?” Dan responded first. “Eris went into the Hellmouth with five Guardians, most of them her friends, and she came back a year later with a shattered psyche and a wounded body. They were massacred by…” The way Dan hesitated, it was as if uttering the name of the enemy was a curse in and of itself. 

“Crota.” 

It dripped from Odin’s tongue to fill the air like a poison. “The Hope-Eater, the God-Knight. A God worshipped by the Hive and more powerful than we. The last time we did combat with him, it was five hundred of the strongest Guardians assembled, versus a thousand Knights led by their God.” Luna thought back on how easily Knights fell before the might of the Guardians. “And he won?..” 

Dan laughed, a sound of pain hidden under anger. “An understatement. Crota personally felled more allies than I can remember. Wielding a sword that devoured the Light of the Traveller, Guardians fell by the dozens, then hundreds. Thousands went to the moon, so few made it out and even fewer are alive now. So close to a madness such as Crota brought a Darkness upon the survivors. And, it seems, Crota hungers to finish his job after Eris’ team destroyed his physical form. A Raid will happen, mark my words.” 

Zavala’s voice broke the silence left behind. “We have an urgent problem, we need Fireteam Kronyz back in the Hall the moment Eris is secure.”

Luna felt the air go still. “Zavala sounded...worried.” They rushed to the medical wing and got Eris in a room by herself, meeting Bianca at the steps leading into the hall. Zavala called out to them even before they stepped fully into the room. “Reports of heavy activity on Venus are coming through. We haven’t even been able to get word to the Guardians on the Moon thanks to the heavy influx.”

Bianca cocked her hips to the side. “Did someone make a move on Venus?” 

Ikora leaned over the table. “In a fashion. Vex are gathering at a rate we’ve never seen before. We think the Vault of Glass is active.” 

A chill rolled down Luna’s spine; some part of her feared the name, even without knowing why. 

Zavala nodded to Ikora. “Guardians are fighting off Vex left and right at the steps, and reports of the Spire that controls the door are cropping up. A Fireteam is going to be sent in to investigate.” 

Dan marched forward. “By Fireteam, you mean us.” “Yes, we thou-” He slammed both hands onto the table and shook it from the impact. “Are you crazy? Kabr took his team in and only Pahanin came out alive! And even he wasn’t whole when he came out!”

Bianca set a hand on his arm, while Odin motioned for him to step away. “You have three others willing to go into the Vex Underworld?”

“Yes.” 

“Have them meet us on Venus within the hour, we’ll enter the Vault then.” The four walked away, Dan yanking the helmet off to glare at him. “Why the hell would you agree?” “Because Pahanin was a friend. I owe him; I may not have been able to take down Dredgen Yor, but I can avenge his Fireteam. You feel the same, don’t you?” The glare vanished. “I do…”. 

Suddenly, Luna came to a stop. “Wait...why do you need three others? I thought Guardians operated in groups of three or six. That would make seven.” 

Bianca turned to face her. “Because, we can’t take you with us. You haven’t mastered your powers; it’d be a death sentence to go into the Vault.”

“Then what am I to do? Sit here on the Tower, twiddling my thumbs until you return?” There was a dark emotion hidden in her words, but Dan shook his head. “No, you’ll be training. We’re taking you to get a mentor that can properly train you in the ways of a Warlock. Bianca, meet us on Venus; we’ll take Luna to Tir and be there as soon as possible.”

“Will do!”

They led Luna to the Hangar and flew past the edge of the known Cosmodrome. Luna’s ship kept close to theirs, even more so when Odin’s voice came from her Ghost. “We’re going to be landing in some rough weather, in semi-hostile territory. Follow in our footsteps once we land and you’ll be fine.” 

The aforementioned weather hit them out of the blue; lightning struck around them; beneath her she knew it was hitting enemy formations, but who they were was unclear. They dropped from their ships at the base of a half-destroyed skyscraper, the top disappearing into the stormclouds. “Hope she remembers we’re friendly.” Lightning came down nearby but it avoided them by mere inches. Luna stepped in the path left by their footprints until they came into what had once been a lobby, and found an elevator waiting for them! 

“Thank the Gods, I’d hate to climb the stairs again.” Dan pushed her in, and made sure there was enough room for her so he and Odin didn’t crush her. Flying skyward, they came out to the sight of a Warlock sitting in a recliner, book open in her lap. 

The smooth glass helmet tilted towards them. “What are you chuckle-fucks doing here?” 

Odin bowed low, almost mockingly. “We’re in search of a mentor for our brand new Warlock here.”

A snort of a laugh echoed in the room. “You came here for  _ me _ to mentor her?” 

“Look Sparky, it was either  _ we _ punch her in the face and she learns nothing, or  _ you  _ punch her in the face and she learns something.” 

“Are you really going to punch this girl? What did she do to deserve that? And why, if she deserves it, would you want her to learn how to shoot lightning from her hands? Those are counter-intuitive from each other!” 

Odin chuckled.  "No.  _ You're _ going to punch her in the face. Probably. She doesn't deserve it, but that's all he knows how to teach when it comes to Titans, and I'm a Hunter. We get thrown out into the Wilds and learn as we go."

_ "Why would I punch her in the face?! That's not productive for learning!”  _ The book slammed shut. “Ugh, look, can't you send her to Ikora or something? She'd actually understand how to teach this kid how to be a Stormcaller."

"Because we all know Ikora’s teaching is a little..difficult. Plus, we need her up to date with as much knowledge as she can handle, and you're the smartest person we know." 

Dan cut in. "And  _ don't _ tell Ikora we said that" 

Tir shook her head. "Ikora's a hag and only knowledgeable in Crucible fighting. She's a barbarian at best. I'd call her a  _ Titan _ before a Warlock. And I can't guarantee this kid is going to learn  _ anything. _ You  _ do _ understand I learned everything I know because Ikora didn't know what to do with me and I just started reading, right?” 

“Your words, not ours. All we care about, is that she’s alive and has lightning dancing ‘cross her fingers when you’re through with her.”

“Why do I feel like I’ll regret this?” 

“You regret it, you’re free to come find me and shoot me.” 

“I’ll shoot you regardless for taking me away from hunting through libraries.”

“I’ll personally go looting for books for you, I promise.” 

“Get going before I pull a gun and show my regret.” 

“We’re goin’! Have fun you two; Sparky, try not to kill Luna!” Their ships came up to the window, now that they were above the clouds, and they disappeared into them.


	10. Shattered Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz teams up with other Guardians, and assault the Vault of Glass as Dan comes across a memento left behind by an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I'm just going to get this out of the way now; this chapter is abysmal compared to the rest. Reading up on the Raid, and watching videos, was all I could do since I could never gather enough friends to do the Vault of Glass back in the day, and with Destiny 2 so close, there's no chance to do it. So, my apologies. I hope to give the other Raids a better chapter, but here's to hopin'! Comments are welcome, and as always, enjoy!

Odin and Dan landed feet first in the middle of a firefight. Up ahead was the entrance to the Vault of Glass, where Vex were firing down from, at the handful of Guardians in front of them. Yadra and Uier were tossing grenades into the approaching Vex to keep them at bay. Odin slid into cover at their side, while Dan offered covering fire with his hand cannon. 

“You two part of our Fireteam for this?” 

Yadra grunted a “yes”, too busy bringing down a Minotaur to answer, so Uier elaborated. “Zavala wanted us in on it, saying we could work well with you. Bianca is up ahead with our third member, a Warlock named Liam. I think a Voidwalker, but we haven’t seen him in action yet.” 

Dan crouched behind them. “Any word on the Spire? It’s not up, we can’t open the door.” Yadra pointed up the hill to the left, and to a cliff to the right. “There are some sort of plates up there, and a third at the door. I think if we can manage control them long enough, the Spire might be built up.” “Worth a shot. You two head up to the left, we’ll go right. We’ll pass along the message to get Bianca and Liam in the middle.”

They split into their respective groups and ran to the different spots, weapons firing on the various groups of Vex that locked onto them the moment they touched the plates. Behind them the Spire began to form. Every second spent on the three plates was another brick in the tower, and it felt like a lifetime before the door rumbled and opened. 

“Go, get inside, now!” 

The six of them rushed into the open doorway and heard it rumble shut behind them, the distinct click of it locking place echoing like the final bell for a funeral. The inside of the Vault wasn’t as lively as they thought it would be. In fact, there was nothing in the tunnel they entered that could be considered as alive. 

No vegetation, animals, not even Vex roamed near the door. 

In a flash they were leaping between platforms towards a structure ahead, where something could be seen forming in a cloud of mist. A single name flashed into their minds;  _ Templar _ .

Darkness swarmed as the giant Vex Hydra, the Templar, hovered into place, pulsating energy washing over them. Yadra fired a rocket at it, the explosion blocking it from view long enough for the group to split into various pieces of cover and fire on it themselves. Liam whistled to get their attention. 

“Everyone! Something’s forming!” 

There was a spire forming, and Vex were being summoned to march towards it. Yadra cursed. “If they want it, I say we don’t give it to them!” They sprang forth to defend the unknown creation, mowing down waves of Vex. In the center of the arena, they saw a fountain of light appear, distracting them until Uier yelled out in annoyance. 

“Shit! Avoid the green ones!”

A puddle of green goo was at her feet, and Darkness almost seemed drawn to her. “Fuck, I’m starting to lose my sight!” 

Yadra snatched her off her feet to avoid an attack, and unknowingly tossed her behind cover, into the fountain of light. Uier leapt out of it shotgun firing, blowing apart some of the Vex in her way. Whatever the Darkness had been doing, seemed to be cancelled out by the light.

Suddenly the pillar vanished, and a horde of Vex came from all angles, forcing them to retreat behind cover again. It felt like forever before they brought them down just to have two other spires form. Odin, Dan, and Bianca went left, while Yadra, Uier, and Liam went right, to defend their own areas. They vanished faster than the last, but seconds later they heard a ringing sound and an orb appeared in the distance. On instinct they concentrated fire on it, destroying it just as another appeared; the process repeated multiple times. Dan heard whispers and turned to see an object drop into view; a blue shield of some sort, that he picked up without hesitation. 

_ Use me _ .

He held it up in front of the group and watched the Templar’s firepower wither away! Bianca rolled her shoulders in an effort to work out a kink now that they had a moment to breathe. “I don’t know where you got that, but it’s damn useful.” 

He didn’t respond, strangely. 

They concentrated their fire on the Templar now, bullet casings littering the ground like a carpet, welcoming the sight of the Templar crashing down.

A quick sprint found them entering a labyrinth of some sort, one they rushed through like madmen, taking turns at such speeds they never saw a single Vex even as they came out before a series of floating platforms that flitted between spaces as if entering and exiting their own space. 

They coordinated it as a group, leaping from platform to platform to land at a massive Gateway, which two portals surrounding it. 

Again they split, and pushed through, fighting through to kill the Vex guarding their targets; they were operating on instinct, killing and fighting, and destroying things before they even knew it was being done, only to come back to the Gateway opening to them. Beyond it, was a towering Vex that Dan heard the name of whispered in the back of his mind. 

_ Atheon, Time’s Conflux. _

Even though they rained everything they had down on him, it wasn’t enough to kill him outright, they were split up by Atheon, who teleported some off to fight against his minions while the rest defended themselves from him. When they returned, Dan sported a shield exactly like the previous one, and rushed him with it, Light erupting from within the monstrous Vex as he splintered apart before them.

The Darkness was being swept away, but Dan was entirely focused on the shield he held. 

“Dan, you okay? Something wrong?” 

He looked at Odin. “Pahanin said Kabr shielded him, let him escape with his life, by becoming something…. _ more _ ….”

Odin’s posture stiffened. The implication was...it was scary.

“He must have used the last of his Light to make himself into this.” Yadra turned on them. “Who the hell’s Kabr?” 

Bianca snorted. “Kabr the Legionless; the walking one-man army who belonged to no one. His Fireteam was the first to enter this place. If he formed the original, why are there so many shields now?” 

Dan crouched down, placing the shield on the ground, knowing it would soon vanish, so he could mumble a goodbye to it. “His Light still clung to this place. He helped us do what he could not.” 

Odin set a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll give you a moment.” They walked away, and Dan spoke words none of them would dare tell others, before they all transmatted from the conquered Vault, and came back to the Tower to the roar of a cheering crowd. They had done the impossible.

The Vault had been conquered.


	11. History Lesson: A Great Massacre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz takes a rest, as Luna is given a history lesson on their greatest enemy, before Odin pays a visit to see his favorite Warlocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! We're getting close to Destiny 2's release, and I'm excited as hell! As a special treat, later today I'll be releasing another chapter (that's right, two of them in a day!) on top of a longer chapter, as a gift to get us a little closer to moving on. As always, hope you enjoy, and comments are of course welcome! (I live for any comments you're willing to give, cause feedback is life after all)

The Vanguard told them they would be given a day off to recuperate, but they’d be out to the Moon before long; not together for now, but in two teams to do missions and Strikes. They lounged in an area beneath the Hangar, where they wouldn’t be bothered. 

They were mostly out of their armor.

Yadra and Uier were both Humans who were practically identical, light-skinned with short brown hair and dark blue eyes.

Liam on the other hand, was an Exo with dark green plating, and no other markings, not even protrusions on his head. 

Odin was the only one still in armor, but no one said a word about it, least not until Yadra spoke up. “We too good to see your face buddy?” He knew Yadra was messing with him, but it didn’t stop him from thinking about going for his gun. 

“Might kill you if you saw it, can’t get rid of a perfectly good meat-shield just yet.” Some time passed before Odin rose from the couch and stretched. “I’m off to get some rest. Got to go library hunting in the morning. I’ll see you all later.”

Across the Cosmodrome, Luna had her nose buried in one of the countless books she’d begun reading. Half a month went by after she was dropped off, and Tir had offered to teach her absolutely nothing, only telling her it was something to figure out on her own. The plus side? At least there were plenty of books to enjoy. Most were of the time before the Collapse. This one in particular was a handwritten journal of the Moon, but it was impossible to read anything more than a few jumbled words.

“Tir, why do you have this book? The words are illegible.”

She loomed over Luna’s shoulder. 

“Oh,  _ that one _ . It’s the only book to be written by Odin, thought it best to hold onto. It’s a rarity to see a book written by hand. He did his best to recount the events of the Great Disaster, but thanks to the tremors in his hands it was impossible to read by anyone not used to it.” 

She brushed a finger over a line of writing. “The skies turned green with fire we’d never seen before.” The next line down. “We thought the Hive were dying. We were wrong.” A few lines further. “The biggest Knight I’d ever seen in my life; a single attack cost a dozen Guardians their lives. Hours later we learned it had a name.  _ Crota _ .” 

Luna gazed up at her. “Were you there for the Great Disaster?” “I was. I stood at the side of the Praxic Warlocks. Unfortunately, I did not go to Mare Imbrium with Odin and Dan. We razed a battlefield to the ground, while another was turned to ashes.” Tilting her head to the side, her ghost hovered into view. Do you care to see? I have a collection of videos from the Great Disaster.” “Can I, please?” “Ghost, the Great Disaster if you don’t mind.”

Guardians landed on the Moon in the thousands and moved in hordes the moment they could. They were met almost immediately by Hive forces, but the Thralls and Acolytes fell by the dozens under the firepower wielded by the Guardians. They split into a multitude of forces; they spread out to take back everything they could, with Tir spotted near at the side of a group of Warlocks, the Praxic Warlocks. 

Bianca marched with some Titans, and Dan with a small army. Odin soon joined Dan, along with Eris. She stood up straight, looking far more collected than the woman Luna knew. A female Titan, that the recording listed as Wei Ning, seemed to be in charge of the trio’s army. They were determined and marched across the surface of the Moon, only to stumble across a group of Knights.

Wei Ning leaped into the fray like it was nothing, Knights scattering into ashes. As the other Guardians joined in, more Knights appeared. They were coming from all directions, as if magically spawning from the ground itself. The more that were summoned, the more the Guardians were pushed back, only to collect themselves and force back the Knights. Suddenly the view changed to Odin, as he pinned a wounded Knight under his foot and blasted its head apart. 

“Odin, I require your assistance over here.”

Eris was, at best, holding back a handful of Knights with swords, Pulse Rifle flashing. His Hand Cannon joined it and between the two of them, the Knights fell dead. “They’re growing in numbers. There must be a hundred now.” 

“It’ll be fine. There’s plenty of Guardians here, we can manage.” A roar shook the very ground beneath them, and without warning Knights surged from the ground in a tidal wave.

Knights fell left and right, but it was taking more to kill them; each was stronger than the last and it was a little strange to them. It clicked when the sky above them turned green, as if bathed in an odd fire. Moments later, Wei Ning was seen charging into the fray, and a massive Knight appeared before her. Larger than even Ogres, it wielded a sword that sucked in the light around it, and suddenly Wei Ning’s chest was pierced, lifted up into full-view of the army of Guardians.

“ _ Your Light will not save you! _ ” 

It was like a whisper in their minds, but it shook even the air, and all Guardians switched targets at the same time. 

Half a thousand guns unleashed hell upon the unknown Knight, but they did nothing to stop it. 

Across the field, Dan pulled a machine gun from his back, purple light shining within it, and the power of the Void fired upon the Knight, but still it strode forth and swept aside Guardians. Each swipe felled a handful of Guardians, who would not rise afterwards, but died there on the cold ground. Eris screamed out above the gunfire in hopes that the others would listen. 

“Retreat! He can not be harmed! We must escape with our lives!”

They did their best to do so, but the Knight still killed dozens of them during the retreat. At one point, the Knight swung for Eris, but a handful of Guardians stepped between them in hopes of blocking the strike. They turned into a bloody mist before her eyes and she was launched backwards like a bullet, to be caught, barely, by Odin at the top of the hill. Out of the half a thousand or so Guardians that went down into the area, barely a hundred were at the top; they looked like hell itself had come down on them, and it wasn’t far from the truth. 

The Knight stopped just shy of the hill out. Whoever it was, it deemed them unworthy to chase down, and that was just fine with them. Until, at least, they saw it wave for the Knights to charge them. 

A voice rose above the din. “Titans, shield wall!” 

Dozens of Ward of Dawns dropped between the two forces, and Shaxx rose at their side. “All Guardians, fall back!” Odin threw Eris’s arm over his shoulder and limped with her away from the enemy forces. Dan was at their other side, being supported by Bianca, who had dropped a Ward herself. 

They met with the rest of their forces, barely a fifth of what came with them. The assault was a failure. Some could be heard during the retreat; sobs, cries of pain, or a silence that spoke volumes.

The recording ended with a final shot of the ruined forces. 

Luna knew now why Crota’s name had given her such a bad feeling.  _ How could something so powerful exist? _ “They said Crota was killed at some point..” Tir closed the journal in front of her. “His physical body was destroyed by the Fireteam Eris once belonged to. The creature’s essence, as Eris puts it, survived. Soon he may return to this plane of existence and come for revenge, against the survivors. Eris in particular is at great risk; she is the only one of the team that destroyed his shell, that came out alive. And she isn’t all there sometimes, if you haven’t noticed.” 

Shaking her head, Tir motioned to the journal. “There’s quite a lot of information in the journal; the Great Disaster was only part of it. When,  _ and I say that instead of if because you’re a Warlock, and Warlocks do not fail in gathering knowledge _ , you decipher his atrocious handwriting, I’m sure you’ll find it of interest.” That was that and next thing Luna knew, Tir was back to her seat with her nose in a book.

An hour of silence passed before Luna finally began to understand some of the writing, but the sound of a ship approaching got their attention. Tir’s Ghost hovered into view. “Ma’am, Odin is about to arrive.” 

The storm outside seemed to dissipate some, and Odin came in through the window, his ship hovering near it. “Thanks for letting me in. Few bolts came a little close.” Hefting a small bag, he set it carefully down next to Tir. 

“I cleaned out the libraries in the safer facilities on the Moon. The Vanguard doesn’t know that I went, but I’m sure you’ll not be telling them, yeah? I know you don’t have these books after all.” Tir began to say something, but the sound of an explosion tore their eyes to the window, in time for Odin’s ship to go down in flames! 

He cursed and rushed to the window. “Damn it! That was my favorite ship!” 

Tir yanked him from the window as a Fallen Walker fired from beneath the storm. “They’ve gotten brave it seems.” “Too brave. How many do you think are down there?” 

Lightning flashed and Tir scoffed. “Not enough.” 

The Walker was struck by a bolt of lightning and exploded into pieces as if to prove her point. “They’ll storm the building before your lightning takes them all out. I’ll take the stairwell.” Tir drew a shotgun from under her chair, tossing it to Odin as he went for the door. “Take the Invective; you’ll get more use from it than your peashooters in that space.” “I won’t even ask how you got this from Ikora. Thanks.”

Luna hefted her scout rifle, and Tir stood at the window in a pose that gave off the sense that she was controlling the storm the same way a conductor controlled an orchestra.

Already Luna could hear the explosions from below, followed by the boom of a shotgun; Odin’s opposition struck, but from the sounds of things they were throwing themselves at a brick wall. Tir was so busy with the storm outside that she didn’t hear the elevator ding, and a handful of troops step out. Luna’s rifle cracking sent her spinning, arm stretched out, throwing a small orb at them. It released a wave of lightning that washed over Luna and took out one of the Fallen. 

The energy surged through her body and without thinking she threw out her arm. A similar orb struck them and threw the group apart. With joy in her steps, out went the other arm, and a shockwave of lightning the size of her palm killed the last Fallen. “I did it! I’m starting to get the hang of it!” 

Tir’s head cocked to the side. “Right. I’m going to check on the dumbass on the stairs; keep an eye out the window for me.”

Odin was standing a few flights down, shotgun resting on his shoulder. “Hey Sparky. They started pulling back thanks to your light show, only a small group left outside waiting.” “Only a few then? Hm.” She stared down in thought. “You know Luna hasn’t learned how to glide yet, correct?”

“Nnnno? I have no idea what she’s learned from you.” 

She’s already floating up the stairs.

“Better hope she learns before she hits the ground.” 

There’s a distinct silence left behind for about five steps. 

“Wait….TIR! Don’t you dare!” His footsteps rang out, but her glide sped up, calling over her shoulder in a sing-song voice. 

“Byeee~”

“Tir, no!”

“Tir, yes!”

He barely makes it to her room to see her already closing in on her. “Luna, look out!” 

She couldn’t turn before Tir gave her a swift boot out the window. “If you can figure out what I want you to figure out before you hit the ground, I’ll give you one of my books!”

Odin slid to a stop at her side, peeking out the window. “You’re a  _ horrible _ teacher.” “I told you, I didn’t want to teach her. You have naught but yourself to blame.” “No, like, my mentor shot me in the fucking leg, and they’re  _ still _ better than you.”

“Shot in the leg? Really? That gives me some ideas.” An exasperated sigh came from him.

The wind tore Luna’s breath from her on the way down; what the hell did Tir expect her to learn? How much it’d hurt to splatter her body across the Cosmodrome? The ground was rushing up at her, it wouldn’t be much longer until she hit. Time seemed to slow, and a surge of power rocked her body, causing her to come to a nearly complete halt. She glided the last few feet to the ground. 

Fallen were up ahead, guns aimed towards the new Guardian, but before they could, a bolt of lightning came down and hit her. Her body responded at the influx of power, lifting both arms. Lightning flew from her fingertips and chained its way through the group, killing them instantly. She was doing it! She was controlling lightning! It was exhilarating, and she felt a swell of pride in her.

When she finally got back to the top of the skyscraper, Tir was waiting for her, and chucked Odin’s journal at her. The book thumped against her chest. “That’s yours now.” Odin leaned over. 

“That looks familiar.”

“Yeah, it’s your book idiot. I’d read it, but it takes forever to get through one page. If she can understand  _ your _ handwriting, she can understand any form of writing.” “Fair enough. Come on Luna, I’ll need a ride back to the Tower and I nominate you.”

“W-What? Why not Tir?”

“That requires her to be within a mile of Ikora, and we try not to let that happen. You can come back once you drop me off. This way, you can show off to Dan and Bianca that you learned something.” She visibly brightened at that. “She’ll be back tomorrow Tir!” Luna brought up her ship and the two embarked on their trip.


	12. The Dark Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna comes back to the Tower to show off her abilities, but the Darkness sends an envoy to say hello

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! As I promised, here's the second update for today. Hope you all will enjoy it! As always, enjoy, and comment!

Odin couldn’t stop Luna from bolting up the stairs leading from the hanger. Odin had contacted Dan, and learned he was in the Plaza with Bianca, Yadra, and Uier. She reached him before Odin even made it a few feet past his ship. “Dan! Bianca!”

There was just a steady chanting of their names until they turned around and Luna barreled into them, arms around the two of them. They returned the hug so Luna would step back and show them lightning flickering between her fingers. Bianca’s smile warmed Luna’s insides, and Dan even offered a faint shadow of a smile. “Good job Luna, we’re happy to see you getting the hang of your abilities.” 

Nothing could ruin this moment, nothing...until a commotion rose around them. 

In the distance, a trio of ships could be seen flying to the Tower, but they were listing back and forth like their pilots were drunk. The noise grew louder the closer they got, and they realized that they were going to crash! Luna turned towards the hangar to see Odin barely around the corner when they hurtled into the Tower. A fireball erupted from the stairwell, engulfing him!

Luna was moving before she knew it, but to her relief a Titan had thrown down a Ward of Dawn around him. He was seen clasping forearms with the unknown Guardian before diving into the smoking hangar to look for wounded. By the time Luna arrived with the others in tow, the crackle of gunfire rang out from within! Odin was behind cover and clutching his shoulder, hand cannon resting on the piece of cover to fire off a trio of rounds. 

“Bianca, I need you down here. I’ve got wounded!” 

The hangar was a mess; Amanda Holiday’s station was in ruins, and she had taken cover at Odin’s back, along with the Vanguard Quartermaster, who she’d probably dragged with her, and Lakshmi-2, who was loading a shotgun. Jalaal was thankfully in cover as well, with a number of Guardians that were wounded, but Luna’s attention went to the source of the conflict. 

As Bianca charged down to the group, figures strolled from the wreckage of ships; Guardians! Two Titans and a Hunter, staggering towards them and firing at them. Bianca dropped a Ward of Dawn close enough to start grabbing people. Jalaal and Lakshmi were moving some of the more seriously wounded Guardians by him, into the Ward, so they could be ferried up the stairs. Dan had vanished, leaving Luna to provide covering fire with Yadra and Uier. The only problem, was that none of them felt right shooting at their own allies outside of the Crucible. Luna de-materialized her gun and chose to instead help bring the wounded up the stairs while they were focused on Odin and Amanda, who had taken up Lakshmi’s gun to help him.

“Odin!” 

Dan appeared from the Plaza with a familiar weapon; it was Odin’s second hand cannon, the one he ruined defending the City. 

Tossing it down the stairs, Luna saw Odin reach out with the hand that wasn’t holding his shoulder, catching it, but also revealing the wound he had received when his shoulder shifted, and it was oozing some form of liquid. She didn’t get to see much else, because both Titans exploded with flames. These weren’t the ones she was familiar with, the blazing orange that felt like a protective warmth, but a darker flame that made her think of...of  _ Crota _ . 

Dan threw himself on top of her and felt the flames wash over his back from the hammers striking the nearby wall. She had frozen up, and Dan was paying for it, taking the pain in silence. Luna’s eyes turned to Odin down below, and saw him raise the newly acquired weapon, with his other one. He rose, flames traveling down both arms, and fired.

Unlike the usual enemies, the Sunbreaker Titans, twisted as they were, had been given some kind of protection. It took a few shots each before they fell and lay unmoving, but the time cost him. Dan rose to see Odin take a second bullet to the same shoulder. He fired his hand cannon at the surviving Hunter, wincing as the recoil sent pain through his wounded back. He ducked under the bullet coming at him and turned to see a green hole sizzling in the wall. “ _ Shit. Thorn!” _

Luna didn’t understand what he meant, but all eyes went to Odin when he rose from cover once more, this time without the flames. How the weapon stayed in his left hand, with that arm so wounded, was an unknown miracle, and he lifted it waist high. Seven shots, fired in such rapid succession that it blended into one long sound, and each one rocked the Hunter back until they hit the wall. Still they stood tall, so Odin reloaded and put seven more in them. 

_ Reload, fire. Reload, fire. Reload, fire. _

The Hunter dropped their weapon, finally, and dropped to join their fallen brethren.

Luna smiled, it was over! But, she felt Dan rush by, Bianca on the move as well, to get to Odin when he dropped to his knees. Her heart stopped; had there been a wound other than the two in his shoulder? Bianca cried out. “Clear the way!” She had her arms under Odin’s, and Dan lifted him by his legs, doing their best to move him

. Her, along with Yadra and Uier, followed hot on their heels to the medical wing. They dropped him into the first bed in an empty room that they came into. Along the way he dropped the hand cannon in his right hand, then the left when they carried him through the door. Both were picked up by Luna. Bianca was busy gathering materials, and looked up at the crowd gathering at the door. “Everyone not a part of Fireteam Kronyz,  _ OUT! _ ” 

It was said with such authority that even Luna went to leave before she stopped herself. Yadra and Uier on the other hand, were stopped by Dan calling out. “You two, help me hold him down!” They complied without a second thought, but didn’t realize why he wanted help until his left arm shot up and caught Yadra by his throat! He was lifted clean off his feet, and only Dan forcing the arm down gave him a reprieve. “Bianca, hurry up! He’s barely holding on!” The trio of Titans forced the convulsing Hunter down against the bed by the time Bianca came over with tweezers, digging them into his arm in an attempt to get at the bullets. 

Cursing, Bianca’s armor vanished and she rolled up her sleeves. “Dan, his armor has to come off. I can’t get to it any other way!” 

Dan seemed hesitant, but he mimicked her curse. “Fucking idiot! Artic, get it off!” 

From nowhere came a Ghost Luna hadn’t seen before. It mimicked Odin’s armor, white with dark blue spirals, and the eye was an emerald green. “As you wish.” The armor vanished, all except the helmet, and Luna thought Dan deflated in relief. Bianca tore open the bodysuit covering him at the shoulder, digging the tweezers into the wounds one by one, bullets dropped into a tray held in her other hand. 

Once the bullets were out, Odin stilled, the sudden stillness making Luna think he had died. Seeing his chest rise and fall, she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.

Curiosity made her peek into the tray, to see what looked like massive thorns, instead of bullets! “W-What kind of gun fires something like this?!” 

Dan, still holding Odin’s shoulders as if expecting him to start flailing again, spoke. “A weapon that shouldn’t be in the hands of Guardians. Shouldn’t even be  _ fixed. _ Artic, put his armor back on, and keep near him. This is going to be a long night.” He stepped away and turned to Luna. 

“Go back to Tir, ask her for  _ the _ book. She’ll know what I mean.” Bianca ushered Dan to another bed so she could take a look at the burns on his back from the Sunbreakers. Part of her wanted to stay behind to help watch over Odin, but to her surprise there was a knock at the door, follow by Matthew coming in! He threw his arms around her and smiled. “Luna! You’re back!” 

“Matty, what are you doing here?” 

“I came to see Odin, there were people talking, saying he got hurt. I wanted to sit with him like he did for me.” She relaxed; Matthew would sit with him until she got back. “Good. I have to go find something for Dan, but I’ll be back in about an hour or two.”

The trip back to Tir took little time, and surprisingly less time to get the book from her. Mainly due to the fact that when she heard the words, she snatched a book off the shelf and uttered a hasty “Let’s go” before she was in her own ship and the two sped back to the Tower. Luna had to sprint to keep up with how fast Tir glided from the hangar, up to the room Odin was in. Dan stopped her outside with a hand on her shoulder, Matthew behind him sitting against the wall. “Give her a moment if you don’t mind.”

She watched Tir’s body hide Odin’s head from view when she took off his helmet. With no warning, she slapped him across the face with the book! “ _ You fucking idiot! Who told you to take on Thorn?!” _ The whisper was heated, a mixture of fury and concern. Tir leaned over to mutter something under her breath that Luna didn’t catch, and then the helmet went back on. “I’m going now Dan. Take care of the idiot.”

When she brushed past them, Luna barely heard him whisper to her. “You know he’ll ask.” 

Her response was equally low. “No, we both know he won’t.” Her mentor was gone as quickly as she came, and Matthew finally peeked around Dan. “Can I sit with him again?” Luna popped off her helmet to give him a weak smile. “We’ll both sit for a while. I’ll spend the night here, and go back to Tir in the morning, after breakfast.”

She and Matthew spent the night in Fireteam Kronyz apartment, and went to check on Odin in the morning. They came into the room and found his bed empty! Panic shot through Luna. From behind her came a sigh. Bianca had entered the room with her datapad in hand. “Check the hangar. I’ll go inform the Vanguard that he’s up and about.” Matthew and her entered the hangar, already mostly repaired thanks to the abundance of Guardians willing to help, and the Frames doing most of the heavy lifting. Down near the edge of the platform, she could see Odin sitting, legs hanging off the side, with something in his hands. 

Upon walking closer, they realized it was the book Tir had left for him. To his right were three armor plates, charred and blackened by fire. It took her a second to realize they belonged to the corrupted Guardians he’d taken down. “Good morning Luna, Matthew. Sleep well?” His voice was shaking only marginally. Matthew seemed not to notice and plopped down to his left. “I slept great, even had a cool dream! What about you?” “Slept alright.” 

Noticeably, he didn’t state what kind of dreams he had experienced. Her thoughts were shattered by the book held up to her. “You can take this back to Tir. Tell her thanks, and next time to not hit like a bitch.” The way he let the sentence hang there, it was like he didn’t know what else to say. He needed time to sort things out, so Luna would give it to him. Motioning discreetly to Matthew, they left him there.

She ate a quick meal with her brother before leaving for Tir’s home. Entering through the window, she noted that the storm was stronger than usual, more sporadic. She decided not to comment, and only handed Tir her book. “He said thanks, and to not hit like a bitch next time.” To her utmost surprise, Tir said nothing, only nodded. Knowing she’d get nowhere with Tir today, she chose to sit down at her usual seat, with Odin’s journal in her lap. 

She was able to make out some of the earlier writings, which were noticeably better than the ones after the Great Disaster. Picking out a word written in near perfect writing, Luna zoned in on it.  _ Thorn. _ It was followed by a name;  _ Dredgen Yor _ . Focus was needed to decipher the writing.  _ Dredgen Yor struck again. _ The words floated off the page for her.

Odin, Dan, and Bianca moved through the remnants of a village. Six attacks in two days, with no sign of Fallen. No, the signs all pointed to it being done by someone the Guardians had been tracking for some time. Dredgen Yor, a former ally. Fireteam Kronyz was issued a single command. 

_ Find Dredgen Yor. _

Bodies littered the village, holes in them that still oozed some dark liquid, some even sizzling. They weren’t far behind him. Dan knelt down to close the eyes of a dead civilian. “He’s become a monster. How’d no one see this coming?” Odin snorted. “We saw the signs, we just didn’t want it to be true. The moment he killed a fellow Guardian they should have taken him.” Bianca’s voice was dangerously faint. “But they didn’t. Now Pahanin is dead, and Yor is on a warpath for any place not protected.” 

Footsteps ahead ended their conversation.

From the flaming wreckage of a house came the one they were hunting. The Titan, Dredgen Yor, with his weapon lowered at his side. Dan stepped up. “Dredgen Yor. The Consensus wants you to appear before them. Will you go willingly?” There was a silence between them. Bianca shoved Dan aside the moment she saw Yor twitch, earning her the bullet meant for him. She went down, hole in her stomach, while Dan and Odin traded fire with the Titan, who didn’t even flinch under the rain of bullets. 

Dan went down next, the bullet lodged in his ribs. 

Odin was the last one standing, but Yor drew on him faster than lightning, and he felt the bullet pierce his sternum. The pain was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, Darkness swarming his mind. Yor’s voice slithered into their minds like the hiss of a snake. “ _ Give me your Light!” _ Something caught his attention and the Darkness receded ever so slightly. Not that it mattered, the pain was too much. They passed out.

When they next woke it was in the medical wing, and Tir was waiting for them. Dan and Bianca were in a haze, but Odin stared up at Tir. Even with her helmet on, the anger hidden in her voice was clear. “You’re a fucking idiot. You tried to take Yor head-on?!” 

Odin’s voice came out as a croak; how long had he been in bed? “Hunters are supposed to be faster.” 

That wasn’t the right thing to say.

The fury made her grip the edge of his bed. “ _ Faster? The man was known to mow down opponents faster than you!” _ She sucked in a breath. “You shouldn’t have even gone out there. The Vanguard knew better.” He tried to raise his arm but found that he couldn’t. The realization barely crossed his mind before he felt her hand slip into his. She always knew what he was thinking. 

“They need to know, Rose isn’t normal anymore, it’s-” 

She placed her other hand on his chest. “Shh. They know, they worked on your wounds. Rest up.” 

Darkness swam in his vision. “I don’t know if I can. I’m...scared that I won’t be myself when I wake up.” 

Tir sat down at his bedside. “I’ll keep an eye on you, until morning.” He weakly squeezed her hand in thanks. Then he was asleep. 

When morning came Tir was gone, but he could feel her Light lingering. She left the moment his breathing picked up.

Luna put the journal down to gaze at Tir. What was their relationship? One minute it seemed like friends, and that was putting it nicely, but the next it was something more. She didn’t dare ask Tir directly, mainly because she wasn’t sure if she would get an honest answer. Instead, she chose to ask something else. “The man who used the Thorn before. What happened to him?”

Tir’s voice was hollow when she responded. “Dredgen Yor was challenged by a young man, named Shin, wielding the Last Word. He put Yor down. The Last Word was said to be the only weapon capable of out-drawing someone like him. It was passed down from Guardian to Guardian as protection against any other Guardians that would fall to Darkness like he did.”

Suddenly, Luna remembered the sight of Odin’s favored gun, firing at inhuman speeds. “Does-” 

“Yes, Odin is the most recent user. A Hunter he knew wielded it and when she passed away he took ownership of the gun.” Her mind thought back to the Hunter she saw in the video of the Gap. “The weapon is a sort of charm, and reminder, and protection, all in one. Mostly the latter. It keeps him sane knowing he has a weapon capable of bringing down those who would do us harm. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t have it on him when the Guardians hit the hangar. Might have taken them down quicker.” 

Something felt off. “I don’t think he could have gotten all three of them in time. It took a lot of bullets to take down just the one wielding Thorn when he did get it back.” 

“That’s the one he should have prioritized. He swore to never face down Thorn again.” 

“He didn’t have a choice, they had him pinned down!” 

Tir rose from her chair with such force it rocked back. “ _ There’s ALWAYS a choice!”  _ Outside, the storm flared up. “He could have let someone else fight them, someone else to be a hero. Someone else with a fucking death wish!”

The rage coming from Tir was mirrored in the storm outside, but Luna didn’t back down. “He saved us!” 

Lightning crackled in the air as Tir stepped forward. “And? There was an entire Tower full of people that could have done the job! Hell, any of the Vanguard could have taken them with ease!” Tir’s hands twitched, like they were itching to unleash lightning upon a target. “The man goes between suicidal and stupid so often that they might as well be one and the same!” She was almost hyperventilating from anger. “That man will get himself killed for good one day, mark my words.” Tir ended the conversation by storming off into one of the adjoining rooms. 

There was something there Luna couldn’t identify, but they weren’t just simple friends. Luna stared down at the journal. Perhaps it would tell her something. There was no telling where it would be stated what their relationship was though. It could be near the beginning, the end, or somewhere in-between. 

She had a lot of reading to do.


	13. A Proper Strike: Ying and Yang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Bianca take Luna on her first official Strike, and come back with something that chills Odin's bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone! I'm back with another chapter, though honestly it was a close one. Destiny 2 has been taking up my time, but I'll always pump out at least one chapter a week! Enjoy, and please comment!

Luna returned to the Tower a few weeks later, and found Bianca waiting for her with her helmet under her arm. “Hey Luna. Glad you could make it.” 

“Of course! What did you want my help for?”

“A Strike. Fireteam Kronyz is being sent to the Moon in hopes of taking down a Hive Abomination being bred to assault the Tower.” Bianca walked her towards the plaza while she filled her in. “It’s your first Strike, and a bit unannounced, but you’re the only person we can get to fill the void that knows us well enough to make it quick. You, me, and Dan, will go to the Moon and bring down the Abomination.” 

Though Bianca couldn’t see it, she sensed the confusion on her face. “Odin isn’t going. He’s out in the Wilds doing recon for Cayde.” 

There was something more to it, but Luna knew better than to ask. 

“When do we leave?” “In ten minutes. Dan had to find a weapon of his to take with him.” He came to their sides by the time she finished her sentence, the LMG she saw him use in the video depicting the Great Disaster strapped to his back. “Found it quicker than I thought. Let’s get going.”

Across the Cosmodrome, Odin was slinking through a piece of territory near Tir’s home, following Fallen tracks through the snow. There was a pack of them moving around. Probably the leftovers from the army that attacked Tir some time ago. Speaking of the devil, she landed at his side moments after he took a seat on an abandoned crate. He offered it to her, and she shook her head, choosing to sit on the ground. He slid off to sit there as well. 

“So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

“Vanguard patrol.” 

“So Cayde wanted your head screwed on right before you get to galavant across the Moon again?”

“Something like that. They know I have an issue with Thorn, and Yor was corrupted by something on the Moon, so until they’re assured I’m not a flight risk, I’m grounded. Cayde took pity on me and sent me out here, and not for the Fallen I bet.”

“You  _ do _ tend to do better when I’m through with you.”

“Makes it sound like I have to fuck your brains out before I feel normal again.” Tir laughed, the sound like lightning crackling. “Could always suck you off.” 

“So glad the others aren’t here to hear  _ that _ . Think you’d give Luna a heart attack.” Tir scooted over to nudge him with her elbow. “I’ve noticed she’s become your admirer lately. Taking a liking to the old man apparently.” 

“Bah. Only woman for me is an old hag who doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase personal space.”

“Aw, you know you love me being so close, let’s you get a good grope or two in.” Odin shook his head, but noticeably he took her gloved hand in his. The shaking lessened, Tir acting as the anchor for him.

On the Moon, Luna was amazed by the serenity between firefights. They’d breached a temple of some sort, and were busy cracking the lock on a Hive door. The complexity of the architecture was more beautiful than she’d have thought. Her scout rifle cracked four times, each shot dropping a Thrall rushing them. Bianca hefted a shotgun and smirked. “Odin is going to be upset he missed out on taking out whatever Abomination is down here.” 

Dan turned to the door as the final lock broke. “Going to miss that firepower even more when we get there.” A short jog down the newly discovered hallway, they came out into an area Guardians typically referred to as the Circle, where the Hive were usually the most active. Dan motioned to a pathway leading through a fenced off hall. “The marker puts the Abomination down there. You two ready?”

Luna nodded. Bianca took one last look at the way they came. “Ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s see just how bad their Abomination is.”

Waiting through the door, in chains, was the biggest Ogre they’d ever seen before! 

Dan snorted. “Of course their weapon of mayhem is a damn Ogre. Let’s put it out of its misery before those chains break.”

They concentrated fire on the Abomination as it strained against the restraints holding it in place, but they were far from killing it when they heard it snap and it turned to them, firing a stream of energy at them. Luna took cover behind a pillar, with Dan taking the aggro by steadily firing at it as he strolled down the stairs. Bianca covered his back from her cover. Thralls and Knights both were focusing on him, so she took out the distracted enemies.

Off in the distance, Hive Tomb-ships entered the arena. No one paid much attention to it at first, not until they dropped off a handful of troops. Luna drew her rocket launcher, a single rocket wiping them out in a flare of Solar energy. Not even a minute later, a second Tomb-ship appeared to drop off troops, and this time both Luna  _ and _ Bianca fired rockets. Dan focused on whittling away the Abomination’s health, thus not paying attention to them when the third Tomb-ship appeared and dropped off a Hive Wizard, one that shrugged off the rockets that hit it.

A name whispered into their minds.  _ Xyor the Unwed. _

Dan’s neck practically snapped when his head swiveled around. “Luna, Bianca, fall back!” 

They did as asked without a second thought, and Dan surprised them by exploding into flames. Hammers smashed into Xyor again and again, Solar the one weakness of Wizards, and Xyor screeched in pain. Luna called out to Bianca, now that their attention was focused on the Abomination. They needed to keep it from attacking Dan while he suppressed Xyor. “Who’s Xyor?!”

Bianca took cover beside her. “The short version? She’s the one that corrupted Dredgen Yor.” Tossing a grenade between the Abomination’s feet, she earned them a short reprieve when it stumbled back. “Supposedly he killed her lover and took a part of him for Rose, his original weapon, as a trophy. The piece allowed her to toy with his mind. If she has the power to bring down a Guardian such as he, then there’s no telling what she can do!” 

“Hey, could use a little help here!” Dan’s Sunbreaker form had run out, leaving him to dash for cover before Xyor’s torrent of energy could hit him. Without thinking, Luna shouldered her rocket, expending the last shot in it to hit the Wizard directly in the face.

To her surprise, Xyor crumpled into ashes! Bianca sighed in relief. “I don’t know if someone like her can be killed per say...but at least now she won’t be harming anyone for a while. Let’s finish off this Ogre!” The Abomination was barely standing by the time the trio fired on it again, and moments later it was aflame, turning to ash the same way Xyor had, except with a final death roar. 

They stood together as all around them, remnants of their opposition fell to pieces. Without warning, Luna cried out; her Ghost materialized something from her pack. “W-Why do I have that?!” Dan and Bianca turned, nearly falling back in shock. 

Her Ghost was holding the one weapon in the air that Luna shouldn’t have... _ Thorn. _

 

Fireteam Kronyz arrived on the Tower to applause, less so than when they brought down the House of Devils, but the Strike was a success, thus they were applauded. They didn’t stick around for it. Dan and Bianca rushed Luna to the Speaker, intending to ask him about the newly acquired weapon, which Luna kept in her pack, away from her body. He greeted them as always,and couldn’t even finish his greeting before Luna’s Ghost showed him Thorn. 

He was extra careful in handling it, turning it slowly over. 

“Hm...Strange. This  _ is _ Dredgen’s former weapon, but I sense no ill intent, no true Darkness, from it anymore. It is as if it was cleansed. How did you come to own it, Guardian Luna?” 

“I-I killed Xyor the Unwed.” 

There was a quiet hum. “Killing her must have broken her link to the weapon. I always wondered why it vanished whenever its owner was defeated. In the end, it belonged to her, not Dredgen. With her dead, Thorn is free of her power. Take care of it Guardian.” 

He returned the weapon, and this time she held it in her hands, staring down in surprise. It was her weapon now. She winced at a thought. What would Odin think?

Odin was landing in the Tower, sighing quietly. He and Tir had gone together to eradicate what little Fallen remained in her zone. It felt nice fighting by her side again. He entered the Plaza to see Dan and Bianca flanking Luna, who was cradling something to her chest. “Hey guys, how’d the Strike go?” 

Luna stiffened at his question. “W-We….We killed the Abomination...and Xyor.” 

The name was like a bolt of lightning to his spine. “Xyor was there? And you killed her?” 

Dan coughed. “And she uh...dropped something for Luna. We just cleared it with the Speaker. He says it’s been cleansed.” “He says  _ what’s _ been cleansed?” With shaking hands, Luna held up the item she had been holding to her chest. 

The sight of Thorn sent a wave of nausea through Odin.

Automatically his hand rested on the Last Word, holstered on his hip still. When he realized the weapon didn’t carry the same Darkness it did days prior, he relaxed, albeit only a bit. “It’s safe?” Nods all around. “I see. Do you plan to use it?” 

This time Luna’s nod was slight. “It’s powerful; used against the Hive, it might help me more than my rifle.”

“Naturally. So be it. As long as the weapon isn’t a threat to you.”

It was obvious that Odin was uncomfortable with the weapon itself. There was nothing to be done about that, but at least he was okay with her wielding it. She holstered it on her right hip and gazed up at him. “How did the recon go?” Odin shook his head. “Tracked some Fallen into Tir’s territory, banded together with the old hag, and wiped them out. Easy stuff.”

Luna’s eyes focused on his hands; they weren’t shaking as bad as usual. 

The same question persisted in her mind. What was Tir to him, and vice versa? 

He reached out and placed a gloved hand on her helmet. “Good job on the Strike. I’m glad you’re finally becoming a true Guardian.” 

The pride in his voice warmed her insides.

Bianca stepped away while motioning towards the exit to the Medical Wing. “I’m going to get caught up on some of my work.” 

S he was barely out of the Plaza when Dan coughed. “Going to check in with Zavalla about my original job.”

They left Odin and Luna alone with each other. The former seemed not to know what to do. Thankfully, Luna looked up to him and asked something he thought she’d never ask. “May I take a look at the Last Word?”

“Guess you learned a few things at Tir’s huh? I’ll do you one better. Come.” He took them to the Hangar, where Amanda was working to get a few things moved around. “Oh, Odin! How ya holdin’ up?” “Could be worse. Got some oil cans you don’t need?” As if she had been expecting it, she slid a whole crate over to them, which he scooped up and took to the edge of the Hangar. 

The weapon was drawn from its holster and tossed into the air. Catching it by the barrel, he let Luna take it.

In her eyes, the weapon was breathtaking. This was her first time getting to see it at close range, without gunfire distracting her either, and found that it weighed less than she thought it would. “I don’t recommend firing it like me on your first attempt, but let’s see what you can do.” The oil can flew up into the air. She brought up the Last Word and, against her better judgement, pulled the trigger as fast as possible.

Four shots rang out before the can hit the floor, but only two holes were in it. “Tried a little too hard.” His words didn’t register at first. For some reason, the simple act of firing the gun had sent a shiver down her spine, like a wave of pleasure. It was almost...addicting. She threw a can up herself and fired until the gun clicked empty. Odin’s hand clamped over hers, gently extracting the weapon. 

“Heh. Shouldn’t start off strong. The feeling is a bit more powerful to new Guardians. It’s an incredible weapon after all.” This time he threw the next oil can even higher. Seven shots, fired from the hip, followed by a reload, and seven more shots. He could have easily repeated the action a few more times, but he let the can fall to the floor, to show off fourteen smoking holes.

Luna had no way of knowing, and yet she could practically feel the smile he wore. The Last Word clearly meant a lot more to him than he cared to admit. Handing the weapon over to her once again, he tossed the can into the sky. This time she knew better.

Five shots were squeezed off, slow and carefully, and each one left the barrel with a wave of power shivering down her spine. The can hit the ground with five holes in it, leaving her filled with pride; she’d managed to get herself under control this time. 

The two went back and forth like that until there were no more cans to shoot.

When the sun had finally set, Luna flew back to Tir’s home with an air of tranquility surrounding her. It wasn’t until her feet touched down in the main room that it crossed her mind she should have  _ warned _ Tir of her new weapon. For, when Tir looked up from her reading, the Warlock launched herself forth from the chair.

Her fingers found purchase on Luna’s robes, to slam her against the wall. She drew faster than Luna thought possible and pressed the barrel of an old Hand Cannon to her throat. Her voice came out in a hiss.  _ “Why do you have that?” _

“I-I killed Xyor, and the weapon was cleansed!”

The weapon didn’t move from her throat. 

“The Speaker cleared it for use, he said it was-”

“Does Odin know?”

She squirmed a little. “H-He was the first to find out after the Speaker.” 

Tir unceremoniously dropped her to the floor, withholding the venomous comment that was boiling within. “So be it.” Luna didn’t understand why the conversation ended just like that, but Tir vanished into a separate room.


	14. The End of a God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Vanguard gives the go-ahead; Fireteam Kronyz descends into the Hellmouth to bring about the end of Crota, and in a vulnerable moment, Luna finally sees what Odin keeps hidden beneath his helmet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'll be honest, this has gotten far more views than I thought it would, but wonderful! Glad people seem to really enjoy my little fic here. Anyway, here it is guys, the first major Milestone I have set up for Fireteam Kronyz; facing down a monster. As always, enjoy, and comment!

The summons came from Luna’s Ghost; Fireteam Kronyz would be descending into the Hellmouth and taking the fight to Crota himself. Tir didn’t even move from her seat when Luna moved for the window. 

She wanted to yell at her mentor; this Raid would be a nightmare for Odin, he’d need her, but there was no motivation without the prospect of new books. Either way, she made it to the Tower Hanger in time to meet the other two Guardians that would be their fifth and sixth member. 

One was a Warlock. Instead of Liam, it was another; a Human named Adam. His flowing robes were a deep crimson, helmet adorned with ram horns, and an Auto Rifle cradled in his arms. 

The second addition, a Hunter Luna was familiar with; the woman that had fought beside Johnathon and her when the Fallen assaulted the walls.

The Hunter introduced herself as Aura, a Bladedancer. It would be a good addition to have someone as fast as her. No one seemed willing to talk for long. Their focus was on getting into their ships and flying towards the Moon above them.

When they landed, surprisingly close to the Hellmouth, Luna was in awe. She’d never stepped foot out here. The massive opening before them, with a single walkway leading out, was beautiful in an eerie way. Dan was the first to step forth; Bianca and Adam flanking him. Aura shuffled after them, but Luna didn’t move until Odin took a hesitant first step. 

Coming to the Moon to fight was one thing, but to fight  _ Crota himself? _ The thought of the one monster that could annihilate them or, worse,  _ subjugate _ them...Odin’s steps grew more confident with every one he took, but internally his instincts screamed for him to leave.

Luckily, when the others took a leap into the pit below, he reacted naturally and dove after them. It wasn’t until they landed in almost complete darkness that even Dan’s steps wavered. There was no way of knowing what lived in the pit. Seconds later a hellish chorus of screeches pierced the air. 

Dan’s voice rose above it. “Thralls, incoming!” Guns rose in a circle facing outwards; they followed the path laid out before them and mowed down the hordes that fell upon them. What they could only call lanterns were erected along the path. 

Their purpose was revealed, when the Fireteam realized that the darkness was smothering their movements. Standing near the lanterns, they felt power returning. They barely made it past it before the lantern exploded! Some Thralls were wiped out, but luckily none of them were harmed.

They pushed forward to the next one, and immediately suffered a casualty. Adam dropped to one knee as a Thrall caught him across the throat. Dan moved towards him to help, but dozens of Thrall swarmed him. 

His Ghost rose above his corpse. Two seconds later, it fell too, and Luna felt a wave of nausea roll through her stomach. 

_ They had been here for five minutes and one of them was gone for good. _

Forcing their way through the masses, they came out the other side in a closer group, most of them firing behind at the enemy, before switching over when Dan and Bianca needed to reload their weapons. Six lanterns into the path, Odin shot a Thrall rushing from the side. “Would you quit with the shadowing bullshit and  _ just help us you flat-footed hag! _ ” 

The others were lost, until Tir appeared out of the darkness behind them. Her gun, and Odin’s, were raised simultaneously. His bullet flew past her to eliminate a Thrall, hers flew at him and he ducked under the shotgun pellets to let it destroy a Knight that had come roaring out of nowhere.

“What the hell! That was a little close don’t you think?”

She trudged from the outer edges of the light. “You shot first, I only defended myself.”

“I shot to keep from having to hear about Hive Ash sticking to your robes!” 

“And then dodged my shot instead of taking it like a man and knocking over a Knight.” 

Dan yelled out, voice tinged with a surprising amount of nonchalance, “Oh, would you two just fucking  _ kiss! Jesus Christ! _ ”

Odin’s hand cannon and Tir’s shotgun both rose to aim at him, to find a shotgun and primed grenade waiting for them. “ _ I dare you. _ ” 

Tir laughed. “Wait, are we  _ really _ having a fucking standoff right now? Are we that retarded?”

Odin cocked his gun. “Tir, honey, how about we finish this mission, then we can shoot him afterwards. Then kick each other’s asses after  _ that _ .” 

“Why do you assume I’m here to help you?” 

While they had bickered, the group had moved past another half-dozen of lanterns and were coming up on a giant pad before a chasm. “Sorry; Tir, honey, how about I finish this mission here, you finish lying, and we do all that stuff I said?”

Luna didn’t catch the rest; too busy was she with the hordes descending from the hills around them as the pad created a bridge spanning the chasm. It would be their ticket across!

In the midst of bickering, Tir was facing the chasm when the bullet hit her shoulder. Reeling forward, her Ghost worked to repair the damage, and that’s when Luna saw the second bullet. It would have shattered her Ghost, much in the same way the Hunter’s Ghost in the Battle of the Gap had.

In horror, Luna watched Odin shove them both aside, in time for the bullet to shatter his helmet into pieces. Tir caught him around his waist and rushed for the finished bridge, letting the others lay suppressing fire on whoever shot them. The bridge vanished behind them and the Hive let them be, for now.

Pillars littered the area, blinding light shining from up ahead, which helped Luna finally see Odin’s face when Tir lowered him against one of the pillars. He was an Awoken, with dark blue hair shaved so close to his scalp that he might as well have had none at all, but what drew her attention was the fact he was blind in his left eye.

Extensive scarring marked his face on that side; when his original helmet broke at the Gap, it had become shrapnel that sliced open his face and taken the sight from his eye. His eyelid was closed, so she couldn’t tell what color it was, if it still held some, but the other was a bright white. A dark tattoo covered the skin around the eye, and if not for the scarring, it would have continued to the other one. 

Movement caught Luna’s attention and she realized that he was hyperventilating. Remembering how paranoid he was of the Darkness taking him over, the fact he was unable to see anything out the left side of his face, while the Darkness was lingering near them, Luna knew he was having a panic attack.

Tir knelt down in front of him, one gloved hand rising to cup the left side of his face. The act felt almost intimate, for all of five seconds. Lightning coursed from her fingers, into his face, the shock breaking him out of his paranoia. “Feel better?” 

Odin’s remaining eye rolled back to look at her. “If I didn’t have sight in my remaining eye, I’d fucking kiss you right now.” 

“Please don’t kiss my helmet. It takes forever to clean your filth off it. Just keep an eye on your side and shoot straight.”

“I’d kiss your  _ probably _ lily white ass if you’d let me.”

“I said just shoot straight.”

“Ma’am yes ma’am.” Dan hauled him to his feet, and for the first time, Luna saw Odin as a man, not a warrior. He didn’t stand as tall as usually; his shoulders were slumped and his hands shook far more. Bianca gave him a quick once-over and cleared him for duty. 

The group moved on, moving through halls, some empty and others filled with Thrall, but Luna’s focus stayed on Odin; Tir, Dan, or Bianca, would occasionally call out a number between seven and eleven, drawing his attention in a direction to shoot any enemies to approach. It was so fluent that she knew it must have been practiced before. Dropping into a pit when they ran out of halls to traverse, they stepped into an arena to the sound of a Wizard’s ear-piercing screech.

A Wizard, similar in look to Xyor, floated inside a shielded room. Tir answered their unspoken question. “A Deathsinger. She’s the equivalent of a General for Crota. Killing her should bring him out.” 

Any other questions were put on hold.

From alcoves in the arena floated more Wizards, quickly annihilated under the combined firepower of the Fireteam. Appearing in the air above them next, were Shriekers. They died just as quickly, sending them into cover. It was then that the Deathsinger exited her protective bubble.

Bianca moved in front of the group, materializing a weapon in her hand that Luna recognized as a Gjallahorn. One of the originals of all things; it was made from a fallen comrade, Oru, if the Vanguard were to be believed. 

_ One rocket.  _

_ Two. _

_ Reload.  _

_ One rocket.  _

_ Two.  _

_ Reload. _

She knocked the Deathsinger back with a firestorm of rockets. Amazement swept through her when the rockets exploded and split into dozens more. Bringing up Thorn, she joined the others in putting the Deathsinger down for good. The team entered the space the Deathsinger had been taking shelter in, and seconds after they gathered around the crystal they found within, a familiar roar shook the air. 

Odin was ramrod stiff, and Dan was clutching his shotgun so tightly, Luna thought it would be crushed. 

Odin’s voice came out eerily similar to Eris’. “ _ The God-Knight.”  _

It was all she had just to look out of the newly shielded room, and finally see the being with her own eyes. The very sight nearly brought her to her knees. Tir suddenly appeared at her side. It gave her enough confidence to follow everyone from the room to face down a god.

Odin and Dan dropped into the lower level to draw the attention of a Swordbearer, some unspoken plan in motion. The others worked on Crota himself. Bullets tore into a shield of Darkness that wrapped around him. It seemed almost impossible to breach, yet it finally dropped, and so did he. To one knee fell the God-Knight, just in time for Odin to come flying upwards from the lower floor. 

Slashing left and right, he tore into Crota with a frenzy the others seemed wary of.

_ Gone was the usually sassy, calmer man. This was an animal, hungry for blood. _

“Odin! Calm yourself!” Bianca’s cry went unheeded, not until the sword broke and he drew back as Crota rose to his full height. In the air behind Crota formed a massive orb, one with an ominous air to it. It drew their fire before they even realized it was happening. It vanished under the slew of bullets.

Again the two went down beneath them, but this time it took less time; Dan’s hammers could be heard breaking the Knight into pieces; Odin took the sword again and rose into the air when Tir brought down a massive bolt of lightning that dropped the shield instantly.

_ So much rage inside of a lightning strike. _

He leapt at Crota and the sword whistled through the air. This time the sword didn’t break before he rose. 

_ This time Odin broke. _

Crota smashed his own sword into him and threw the Hunter. Time seemed to slow down as Luna watched him soar overhead. Slamming against the wall above him, the sword dropped, disappearing on the way down, and everyone scrambled to reach him. Luna slid and felt the impact of his body on hers. 

_ How was he so heavy. _

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth, and the corner of his good eye. “Odin!” 

Aura lit up with lightning, blade slicing at Crota to keep him held at bay. Bianca dropped a Ward of Dawn over them, and then knelt at their side. Odin lifted himself and groaned. The others kept the massive orb from completing its sinister objective, but that was the furthest thing from her mind.

_ The look of hunger was still on his face. _

He was so heavily wounded.  _ He wanted Crota’s blood. _

Struggling to his feet under shaking legs, Odin watched Dan bring the sword into the bubble. They stared at each other for a moment. “Finish your job,  _ Hunter _ .” 

“Then do yours,  _ Titan _ .” 

Dan rested a hand on his shoulder when he passed off the sword. “Let’s get to it.”

Odin couldn’t run as fast as before, but Dan acted as a shield for him, while Tir and Luna popped out of the bubble to hold off the enemy foot-soldiers. All eyes glanced to Crota when Odin screamed out. “ _ Eris says hello you son of a bitch!” _

The blade pierced Crota’s skull. With a final roar, Crota fell backwards and they watched him disintegrate before their very eyes. To both knees fell Odin, laughter bubbling forth.

_ Crota was dead. _


	15. No Rest For The Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz brings back an old tradition and tries to finally get some Rest and Relaxation, while Luna makes a tiny mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting so close to the end of what I have pre-written! Luckily, I've managed to get two more chapters done this week, so hopefully I can keep ahead of my curve here. As always, enjoy, and please comment!

The arrival back on the Tower was to an even bigger crowd than the last. 

Thankfully Odin had gotten a replacement helmet from his inventory, a smooth helmet that curved into the beak of a hawk, so no one noticed what lay underneath. Luna spun to say something to Tir, but discovered that she was gone! Odin’s voice filled her ear through their comlink. “She doesn’t  _ do _ receptions. For good reason.” 

He slid from the team before anyone could stop him. Aura did the same, and one by one they all vanished from the eyes of the crowd. Even Luna ended up in the Hangar after Dan reassured her that they would handle the report to the Vanguard.

The flight back to Tir’s home gave her time to think. 

_ Odin had been so injured. Why hadn’t she been more concerned? _

Anger boiled in her chest and caught Tir by surprise, when, out of nowhere, Luna stormed in through the window. "Why didn't you even flinch?! Most of his skeleton was broken on impact!" 

Tir lowered her book. "He wasn't going to let a little  _ fucking love tap _ like that kill him" 

Luna pointed her finger at her in accusation. “He had one foot in the grave already!” 

A finger pointed right back. “Oi, oi! Who’s spent most of their life under his  _ torturous _ gaze? Me! I know that idiot’s bone structure better than he does! He was fine.”

Luna strode closer to the chair. “Our Ghosts couldn’t heal us in that room; his helmet was gone, the Darkness was hurting him!” 

Tir had yet to rise.  _ Shut up! Don’t antagonize her! _

“Luna, that man has literally fallen into Darkness itself before. I've watched him do that. If anyone was going to make it out of that fucking room alive, it'd be him. Honestly I was still shooting because I was concerned everyone else was one foot in the grave already!” 

_ She’s right. He’s strong. Don’t continue this argument. _

“How can you be so sure?! Every time I looked at him I thought he was going to stick the barrel of his gun in his mouth!” 

A snort.  _ She laughed! _

“You imply that he doesn’t look like that all the time.” 

Luna was in mid-swing before she even realized it.  _ He doesn’t deserve you! _

The fist was caught with ease, and Tir shoved her back as she stood. “I think it’s best you go cool off.  _ Before _ I swing back.”

Luna exited Tir’s home with a mixture of anger and guilt.  _ She’s known him for so long, I’m nothing, why did I do that.  _

Somehow she ended up back at the Tower and found herself in front of the door to Fireteam Kronyz’s apartment. It opened before she could find the courage to knock. 

Bianca, though smiling, looked confused. “Hey, something wrong?” “I uh...was just around…” Matthew suddenly appeared behind her, all smiles. “Luna! Are you staying the night?!”

“M-Matty! What are you doing here?” Bianca’s smile widened. “He lives here now. Matthew’s been working hard for Eva, and it was easier for him to move in here so he doesn’t need to travel all the way out into the city each night.” When he vanished around a corner, Luna pulled off her helmet and returned her smile. 

“Thank you for keeping an eye on him. Can I spend the night here?” “Tir kick you out for a bit? No problem, we have plenty of rooms. Come on in, Dan was just about finished with supper.” 

_ Supper. When was the last time she ate? _

Bianca seemed to notice her confusion. “We don’t  _ need _ to eat. We still can, so it’s a tradition to cook something when the team comes back from a Raid.”

They found Dan plating some kind of pasta on five plates at the kitchen counter. “Thought I heard you Luna. Hope you like it.” A quick scan as Matthew came over, and Luna glanced at Dan. “Where’s Odin?”

“In his room. Mind getting him? I have to wash up to eat.” She backed away from the counter and moved for the hallway. 

“Last door on the left.”

It was ajar, so she only gave a brief knock before entering. Odin sat at a table with his back to the door. The room itself was a complete mess! Scrap metal, crates of spare parts or resources- _ was that Hive Ash in those bottles?-  _ littered the floor, and it was a task just to step around it all. 

“Sorry about the mess. I don’t usually get visitors.” The helmet that was typically planted on his shoulders was lying before him, getting pieced back together. “Why are you fixing that one? Is it your favorite?”

_ Gosh that was a stupid question. _

Deep, rumbling laughter came forth. “Actually, yes. It’s why I implemented a camera into it.” Tapping something hidden within the helmet, he revealed a screen inside it that hovered on the right side. “A camera in the middle feeds into a screen that my right eye can see, letting it work for both eyes. Been a long time since I’ve gone without it. Should be done by tonight. Dinner ready?” He spun on his stool and caught her nodding. “Good.”

The two returned and each took a seat; Luna between Matthew and Bianca, and Odin between her and Dan. Bianca was a good buffer; just because the others had seen him, didn’t mean Matthew needed to see the extensive damage to his face. The meal was better than Luna expected. Then again, compared to the quick and rushed meals out in the wild, it was natural for it to be far better. 

Together they savored their meal, and hours later, after Matthew had shuffled off to sleep, the rest of them gathered in the living area to talk. Which, didn’t last long thanks to Zavala’s voice speaking from their Ghosts. “Fireteam Kronyz, report to the Vanguard Hall.” 

Though each of them rose, Dan motioned for Odin to stay. “If it’s important, we’ll come back for you. Otherwise just fix your helmet man. Luna, you stay too. Get some rest if you’re able.” Dan and Bianca left the two there. 

“So, why did Tir kick you out?”

_ Uh-oh. _

“Um...we had an argument, and I...swung at her.”

“I’m sorry, you did  _ what? _ ”  _ Shit. _

“I...I swung at Tir.” There was a moment of complete silence before Luna was surprised by laughter bubbling from his throat. It was so loud it felt like she was going to go deaf.

“Oh gods that’s amazing.” His face suddenly grew serious. “Now for the important question….Did it  _ connect _ ?”

“N-No. She caught it, then told me to leave before she swung back.” 

Odin rubbed his chin at some distant memory. “Probably good you did. The woman hits like an Ogre, and that’s  _ without _ the lightning. Well, if you want to be welcomed back, you’ll have to get her a book. Coincidentally, I also have to get her one. Either way you’re welcome to join me when I go.” 

Odin’s Ghost floated up from behind him. The melodic voice cut into their conversation. “Dan says that the Vanguard are sending them out to the Moon for a quick investigation. Someone was trying to contact Zavala and all he could make out was a plea for help. Your participation is not required, but he says he won’t stop you if you want to come with. Currently they are en route to the Moon.”

Odin stood back up and pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Up for some gallivanting on the Moon? I doubt it’ll be too stressful.”

“Sure!” The slightest smile on his face let a warmth blossom within her, that was quickly pushed down before it grew any bigger.

The spare helmet formed on his head by the time they made it to the hallway. Luna waited until they were on the flight to the Moon to put hers back on. She originally planned to put it on when they landed, but the sights that greeted them made her thankful she put it on when she did. The landing zone was apparently being used for a make-shift trauma camp. Warlocks were busy helping Ghosts heal wounded, and those not hurt kept the enemy away. 

Hive must have risen out of the Hellmouth with Crota’s defeat and started fights all over the Moon. A distinct rattling sound reached their ears. “That’s the Nova Mortis; Dan is on the frontlines I guess.” When they reached him, he was standing atop a pile of Fallen corpses, with a mixture of Hive and Fallen laying all over the field before him. Other Guardians were spread out in a line to keep the enemy from pushing past that point. Nova Mortis rested on his shoulder. 

“Glad you could make it. We got here in time for them to make their third push. That was their fourth. Less soldiers that time but I’m willing to bet they won’t stop until whoever is organizing them is put down.”

Odin motioned down the line with his head. “Luna, find an open spot and help them hold the line. I’m going to go hunting.” Shimmering energy coated him and he was gone!

Dan reloaded the smoking gun. “Take the spot next to me.” 

He yelled out in the silence between waves. “ _ Shift right!” _

Everyone to the right of him took a few steps to free up space, and Luna took the opening with the Thorn raised high. It was used to combat Crota, but against him it felt...weak. Like the Darkness had smothered its power. Here though, it reigned supreme. Each bullet penetrated her target and struck the enemy behind them, poison festering in their wounds. Laughing, she fired at every target coming into view, feeling the power in each shot radiating down her arm. 

To the left, Dan’s gun began to rattle and spit out bullets at an insane rate, Void blasts freezing the enemy where they stood before dying not even a second later. Up, and down, the line she could hear Guardians fighting to keep back the tide of Hive, which didn’t feel as plentiful as she expected; then again, their numbers were dwindling after heavy fighting.

With no prior warning, Dan’s finger let off the trigger and he lowered the gun. “Oh, no. Odin, you got eyes on my twelve?” Luna heard no response, but Dan cursed. “Yeah. I was hoping I was seeing things.” 

_ Must be a private channel. _

“Right. Hive are holding position. He looks  _ pissed _ .” A noticeable pause. “I’m not going to be the one informing Tir if you do.” 

Luna’s attention focused on a spike of pressure in the air, like a danger sense tingling in the back of her skull. A voice soon accompanied the pain. “ _ Where is the one who wields my gun.” _ . 

The figure rising from the Hive’s side gave her momentary pause. 

_ Their gun? It can’t be. _

She couldn’t decide which was worse; one hand, it wasn’t Dredgen Yor. On the other, it  _ was _ someone she knew. Adam, the Warlock that fell moments into the Raid. 

Dan dropped beside her. “Don’t accept the challenge. Darkness has him, and in the end it’ll come down to a duel. It’s always a duel between Light and Dark. And here comes our Light.”

Odin phased into existence between the two lines, just like Adam did, and the two stared each other down. It was then that Luna finally noticed Adam was surrounded by dark flames like the Sunbreakers had been. 

_ Sunsinger. Does Darkness work like our Light? _

“Adam, if there’s any of you left in that shell, I want you to know that I’m sorry we couldn’t save you. And that I apologize for what I’m about to do.” On Adam’s hip appeared a copy of Thorn.

_ It’s a shadow of the real thing. _

A hand hovered over it in a pose mimicking Odin’s. The two were prepared to draw at the slightest motion of the other, and time stopped in-between heartbeats. Even the Hive stopped. 

_ To watch their champion do battle _

_.  _ A Fallen’s corpse slid off a pile and the sound echoed in the silence. It was the signal to draw to them. Both got a shot off, Adam’s fake Thorn flew as the Last Word ended up at Luna’s feet, but while Adam had no other gun, Odin still had one. The second gun, that Luna heard was called Ace of Spades, rose in his other hand and a single bullet pierced Adam’s helmet. The resulting explosion sent Solar damage washing over the nearby Hive, killing them as well.

In the silence left behind, they could hear when the Hive broke. The entire line fell back as their newly risen champion died without accomplishing a single thing. Dozens of Guardians rushed forth, hot on their heels, but Odin trudged over to Luna and Dan to accept the Last Word from her. In his off-hand was a piece of cloth, from Adam’s robes. 

_ A trophy? _ .

She could hear Dan’s snort. “Going in the collection?” 

“Naturally so. He needs to be remembered.” A quick glance over his shoulder and she watched him sigh. “Since we’re here, let’s go find some books for Tir. Come along Luna. See you back at the Tower Dan?”

“Yeah. I’ll find Bianca and we’ll go back for some much needed rest.”

They shook hands and Dan moved back towards the landing zone, while Odin marched off in the direction of the Hellmouth, with Luna right behind.

A few minutes into the journey, Luna cleared her throat. “Do..do you know where to find books?”

Odin’s fingers drummed on the butt of the Last Word. “I have a hunch. Should be two down in the libraries of the Hellmouth. Few Guardians have actually gone down for such treasure, so they shouldn’t be too empty.” Down into the Hellmouth they went, signs of Guardians having cleaned the area of enemies. 

“Wow, they work quick.”

Odin’s laughter echoed in the empty halls. “You have no idea. Compared to the old days when no one was organized, this is faster than the speed of light.” The deeper the two went, the more bodies they needed to step over, and the place Odin had referred to was full of Warlocks!

_ Faster than light indeed! _

Many books were trashed, and many more already taken, but when they saw Odin they moved to allow him access to an untouched bookcase. A Warlock crossed his arms over his chest. “We figured we’d let you have a few books for the missus. Surprised she isn’t here herself.”

Odin perused the shelves with a hum. “She doesn’t know about it. I doubt any of you would have been able to get a book if so.” His Ghost flew up and scanned the entire bookcase, taking all of them into its inventory except a single large tome, that he passed to Luna. “Thanks Phil. You all have fun with your spoils.”

They were silent all the way back to the surface, and the entire time they spent traveling back to Tir’s home. It wasn’t until they were almost to the top when Luna spoke. "Are you giving her these books as a thank you?" 

Even with the helmet on, she knew Odin was rolling his eyes. "No, cause that means admitting she was a great help to us. I'd rather her fat head not get any bigger. It's a  _ these are for getting off your equally fat ass to do work for once _ kind of books."

Luna nearly choked at his words; they had reached the door to Tir's floor, and there was no way she hadn't heard his unabashedly loud voice amplified by the stairwell.

“Last I checked, you liked my fat ass just the way it was.”

“Well, maybe just a little. We’ve got presents for you.” The entire bookcase appeared against one of the bare walls; it fit in with the rest.

“Aw, why thanks  _ Snookums. _ ”

“You’re  _ sooooo _ welcome Darlin’.”

Luna’s book appeared in her hands, and it was offered in a heartbeat. “You’re forgiven.”

Once again, Zavalla’s voice came from their Ghosts with no prior warning. “Guardian Volsky, your presence is requested in the Vanguard Hall  _ ASAP _ . This is an emergency. Code 014.”

Tir’s head barely snapped back, but if she was surprised... _ what was Code 014? _

“Get going, Odin. Take Luna with you. Might need the backup.” It wasn’t until they were flying that the question was raised. “What’s a Code 014?” 

“The Reef is in danger. All Awoken are to rally.”


	16. Return to Valhalla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz visits the Reef, and it gives Luna quite a bit to think about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, hope you like my take on the Awoken Queen and Prince (Who, by the way, I've never been a fan of. He just seems like a douche, you know?). As always, enjoy, and please comment!

“I’m sorry, the Awoken have a Queen?”

Odin wished he could pinch the bridge of his nose; they were walking towards the Hanger to get back into their ships, and Luna was still questioning him over everything. Zavalla had revealed to them that the Awoken Queen’s personal House of Fallen, the Wolves, had rebelled and caused widespread chaos amongst her people. An envoy had already been sent, a Guardian Odin had heard whispers of having defeated a force of Darkness some time ago while they were in the Vault.

Apparently Fireteam Kronyz would be sent as well to offer whatever help they could, but Odin was to go first. Luna had been nominated by Ikora to go as well, to broaden her knowledge. 

“Yes. Queen Mara Sov. Beautiful woman. Scary woman too.”

“Scary?” 

As they turned to get into the ships, he snorted. “The woman subjugated an entire House, Luna. If anyone didn’t find that, at the very least, slightly terrifying, I’d be worried. You’ll see for yourself when we get to the Reef. Whatever you do, don’t deviate from the path I take; they’re usually pretty paranoid, but now?...” 

There was no need to finish his sentence, she knew.

Luna dutifully followed right behind him when the two flew into the Reef, their ships docking to the sight of a dozen guards eyeing them. 

“Luna, don’t take your helmet off here, no matter what. They’re a bit...unfriendly towards non-Awoken.” 

They dropped from the ships with hands raised, though an Awoken at the head of the group stepped forward to meet them. Her eyepatch drew Luna’s attention.  _ Maybe Odin might wear one someday. _ “My name is Petra, I will escort you two to our Queen.” 

Luna took an extra step closer to Odin; the guards made her nervous, but he walked tall as if they weren’t there. 

A whisper over the comms, from Artic, Odin’s Ghost, calmed her. “They will not hurt you with Odin here, he promises to protect you.”

The throne room was a massive space, with a single platform that held the throne, upon which sat the Queen. Odin had been right, she was gorgeous.

_ Yet, Tir takes the cake in his eyes. What does she look like? _

A voice broke through her thoughts. “Your helmets, if you will. She enjoys looking people in the eyes when they speak.” 

Luna automatically went to remove hers, but Odin raised a hand behind his back to signal her.  _ The helmet stays on. _

“My companion does not speak for the Vanguard. I will be the one doing the talking.”

The Awoken who spoke, a man with a face that gave Luna a strange vibe, glared at him as if a look could kill him. Her mind thought on the guards behind them. 

_ Please don’t start anything. _

A faint, yet powerful, voice filled the silence. 

“Brother, do not be quick to anger. Why do we not simply ask?” The Queen sat up. “Guardian, remove your helmet, if you’d please.” 

_ I _ _ s he really going to- _ Odin reached up to press a button under his chin, like Dan once had, and the helmet was lifted free. The Queen’s eyes flashed for a moment, some emotion coming through.  _ Shock? Surprise? Interest? _

The brother, unfortunately, let a smile grow over his face. “So, the help we are sent is  _ damaged goods _ ? What a shame. If this is the best the so called leaders you obey-”

“I believe I’m here to speak to the Queen, not the peanut gallery.”

The brother’s face hardened. 

_ Oh no. _

His hand went for the knife in its sheath, but Odin was faster. The barrel of the gun was pressed under his chin so he was forced to tilt his head back. “You draw that knife on me,  _ and your sister will need a new bodyguard.” _

“Brother, stand down. Guardian, tell me, how did you receive such a wound?” 

Odin’s gun didn’t lower until his opponent relaxed his posture. “Why do you care,  _ your Majesty. _ ” 

Luna could see her lips twitch with the ghost of a smile. “Call it intrigue.”

“I stood with my comrades in a fight we couldn’t win.” Turning so he was looking at her, he bowed his head. “Our envoy offered their help, but while they do the jobs you ask of them, the Vanguard wishes to give you my Fireteam’s power to help as well. I kindly ask, though, that you-” 

“If you wish to ask my dear sister for a favor, you would do well to kneel!”  The brother kicked out, in an attempt to bring him to one knee most likely, but Odin slapped the foot away and brought up his gun a second time. 

The difference, was this time they all heard the hammer pulled back, and the animosity in his voice. “ _ I only kneel for one woman.” _ . 

“Uldren, behave yourself. Our brethren here need not kneel when he has already shown respect by removing his helmet, knowing it would reveal his battle scars. What do I call you, Guardian?” 

“You can call me whatever you wish, but my name, is Odin Volsky.” Holstering the gun, for what Luna hoped was the final time, he sighed. “As I was saying. I ask, kindly, that you allow the rest of my Fireteam to come. One is a competent medic that can assist your own, and the other is a competent handyman if push comes to shove.”

“And, pray tell, do you and this...other, have to offer?”

“I am confident in my ability to help your guards, and my friend here is quite knowledgeable of the universe. She may be capable of helping establish safe houses in places others wouldn’t think of.” 

The Queen nodded, after a moment of thought. “We shall see. They are permitted. You are dismissed.” 

He bowed his head once more before motioning for Luna to exit first, as he put his helmet on to follow. Luna almost,  _ almost _ , missed Uldren’s parting words. “Let us hope you see any threats coming,  _ Guardian. _ ” 

If not for Odin biting down on his lip hard enough to draw blood, she knew he would have drawn, and this time the bullet would have flown.

They marched back to the landing bay, the helmet finally on, and Luna turned to look up at him. “Are you okay?”

“Never enjoyed Awoken out here. They’re elitists half the time, and assholes the other half. It’s all, Reef-born this, Reef-born that. At least the Queen is respectable enough. Her brother could use a talking to though.”

“You wouldn’t be wrong.” Luna had to contain the urge to jump in surprise.  _ I forgot Petra was walking with us! _

Surprisingly, she didn’t seem angry over Odin’s words. “The Prince is..difficult, at times. It’s a wonder how our Queen stays so calm.”

“He’s family. You do anything for family. I can understand it better than I’d like to admit.”

“Oh, you have family?” 

“My Fireteam is my family. I’d do literally anything for them.” Two more ships came into the landing area, and out of them came Dan and Bianca, the latter of whom removed her helmet and smiled as she gazed around. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here. Nice to see it hasn’t changed much.”

“In more ways than one. I got us all permission to work, so it’s just a matter of finding the jobs we can all do.” 

Petra cleared her throat. “If you would like, I can find jobs for each of you.” 

Odin motioned to Luna. “As long as hers keeps her near one of us. We’re mentoring her, and prefer her to be within our presence to make sure we’re teaching her properly.” 

There was a meaning hidden beneath his stoic words, one that Petra must have picked up, for she glanced down to Luna before nodding. “We can find something. Allow me to officially welcome you all to the Reef.”

Petra left them alone for a few minutes; they would report to her for jobs, which Dan immediately went for. He wanted something to keep him busy while he was here. Bianca, and Odin though, stayed with Luna. 

“Hard to believe this is what my home could have been, huh old man?” Odin turned towards her and hooked an arm around her shoulders. “Let me tell you, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Luna watched her elbow his ribs with a laugh. “How would you know? You never come back here unless it’s urgent! You’d think you would visit your home once in a while.” 

Luna’s voice cut in-between them. “His home? You’re Reef-born?”

He tilted his head back and she felt his gaze on her. “Not quite. Artic, my Ghost, found me in a ship floating on the outskirts of the Reef. I’m not Reef-born, but I’m not from the other planets either. This place is the closest thing to a home I had in the old days, before I found comfort in the Wilds.”

“This is your Valhalla.”

The air was filled with laughter; Odin nearly doubled over. “Ah, you understand the name then? It was given to me a long time ago, after the Battle of the Gap. They thought it was funny. Close though, but no cigar; my Valhalla is far beyond this place. Now, come along, we’ve got work to do.”

The work Luna ended up getting, was patrols around the Reef with Odin, and Petra’s guards. Four of them, all females, and as silent as they were deadly, if their weapons were anything to go by. Something she realized, halfway through the patrol, was that the Awoken really were paranoid. 

Petra stated Odin was to lead them, but the women didn’t trust him until he swapped his helmet for one like their own, that revealed the lower half of his face. Assured that he was Awoken, they fell in line instantly.

Something caught her eye when they stepped past a door on their right. Faint scuff marks led to it, and she brought it to Odin’s attention. “This can’t be right.” The woman that spoke, knelt at his side when he inspected the marks. “These are tracks made by our boots. We’re looking for Fallen, but this…” Odin shoved her aside and they watched bullets punch through the door where she had been kneeling.

“And this is why we whisper! Luna, toss a grenade when I pop the door open!” 

_ Issuing orders that loudly, he wants to draw the enemy to us; they’ll rush forward in hopes of taking us by surprise to make sure the grenade misses. _

The door opened, and two Awoken guards sprinted from the dead-end hallway. Luna caught one under the chin with Arc channeled into the strike, knocking them out. Odin, on the other hand, simply punched his opponent hard enough to slam their head into the wall. 

They slid to the floor and he turned to the guards behind them. “Is there something we’re missing here? I thought Petra spoke of Fallen sabotaging things, not Awoken.”

The one he saved came forward to look at the unconscious guards. “That’s what we thought. Why would our brethren be doing such treacherous acts?” 

“I don’t know, but we can find out.”


	17. High Treason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna continues to learn, as a Warlock should, before she discovers what the Awoken really think of other Races, shortly before the Queen comes under attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I don't really have anything to say, other than I hope you enjoy, and please comment!

Dan was helping piece a ship back together when Luna came up to him.

“Hey, finished with your patrol?” She helped him lift a metal plate up to the ship for him to weld it into place. 

“Kinda. We stumbled across something a little concerning, so Odin asked me to find you or Bianca to help until he knew what was going on.”

“Good idea. Here, give me a hand.” Dan jumped onto the ship and she passed him the tools he left behind. The sounds of him cutting something filled the silence until she spoke her mind. 

“Why don’t the Awoken like the other races?”

“Don’t know.” The response was quicker than she figured. “You don’t?” 

Dan’s helmeted head appeared from above the ship. “That’s like asking why the City doesn’t like the Sunbreakers, or the Cult of Osiris. They just don’t.”

_ Sunbreakers? _

“But you’re a Sunbreaker, and there are others on the Tower.”

“No, we’re Sunbreakers, but we’re not  _ the _ Sunbreakers. The originals were mercenaries. Still are, technically. They operate from a place on Mercury, the Forge as they call it. I’ve been a few times as a mediator of sorts. They like me, and I don’t mind them, so Zavalla sends me to speak with them once in a while.”

“They don’t help the City like the others?”

“Couldn’t, even if they wanted to. Just not enough of them to go around.” The tools quieted, and Luna looked up to see Dan staring off into space. “The last of the Sunbreakers stay in the Burning Shrine, on Mercury where the Forge is, but no longer are they a full-fledged force. Years ago they went at it with the Vex, and became lost in time. A small handful remain, and who knows how long they’ll last. But, I suppose that’s why there’s plenty of other Orders of Titans to defend our Walls.” 

“Do all of the Guardian classes have Orders? I know of the Praxic Warlocks thanks to Tir’s books, but what else is there?” 

Dan’s legs dangled off the side of the ship. “Titans have eight major Orders, counting the Sunbreakers. Counting them off, and explaining their differences, would take all day. As for Warlocks, there’s three; the Praxic Warlocks, who believe the Darkness doesn’t need to be understood, but simply fought against and destroyed. There’s the Thanatonauts, and I swear I’ve rarely met stranger Guardians. Thanatonauts get  _ visions _ through dying constantly. I won’t deny that they’ve had moments of brilliance, but Osiris and Toland both were members of their Order, and both fell to their lust for knowledge. One for Vex, one for Hive. And then there’s the Gensym Scribes, which I know nothing of.”

“What of Hunters? Do they have Orders as well?”

A low chuckle hung in the air. “No. That would require getting more than six of them in a room together, or for them to all keep in contact with each other. Hunters like to go it alone; yes, sometimes they form teams together, like the Six Coyotes did at one time, or even Dead End Cure, but never large groups. It goes against everything they stand for. Ask Odin about it one day, see what he says.”

From the direction of the throne room came a guard. “You, the smaller one; the Queen requests your presence.” 

Her Ghost appeared in the air between them. “She has a name you know! It’s Luna!” It drew back when the guard shot a glare they barely saw beneath the armor covering her eyes.

That’s when Dan landed feet-first at Luna’s side, and the echoing  _ thud! _ Wiped the look off her face. 

“ _ Luna _ , if you would kindly; the Queen requests your presence with your leader.”

“Odin? He’s not our lea-” Dan flicked his hand out in rapid signals;  _ go with it. _

“I mean….as she wishes. Thank you for the talk, Dan.”

“Anytime. Try to make sure he behaves, will you? I know he’s not a fan of the place, but it’s necessary.” A nod of agreement was her response, because she needed to hurry to catch up with the guard.

Something was off about this; the guard was taking her a different way to the throne room for one, but she was also holding her gun at an angle specifically meant to keep the barrel aimed off to the side, towards Luna. When the near-silent clack of the bolt pulling back filled the hallway, Luna sprung into action.

The guard took a blow to her chin, in the same manner as the one she knocked out did, but there wasn’t enough time to channel Arc into it before she retaliated, and brought her leg up to kick her in the ribs.

_ Note to self, get padded robes to soften physical blows. _

Ignoring the pain until she could address it, she kneed her opponent in the hopes of getting enough space to draw Thorn from her lower back, but that plan was shot down when the woman lifted her off the floor with a tackle! The brawlers went into the adjoining hallway and rolled around, punches striking one or the other. 

Luna may have needed training in terms of guns, but brawling? That’s where she excelled. It wasn’t up to par with the kind of fighting she knew Titans and Hunters could do, but from the feeling of the guard withering beneath her, it didn’t look like it mattered.

Victory was tossed in the trash when a boot connected with her helmet, and sent it flying off; the seal was broken, and her head snapped back while her body dropped onto the floor. Three more guards had come to join the fight.  _ Shit _ . The one she had been kicking the hell out of, got up, spitting at her and barely missing her face. 

“See, I told you, she’s Human! I bet that male working on our ships is too!” 

_ Just my luck, the racists show up. _

Part of her was itching to unleash her lightning, but if she did that it would be impossible to defend herself if someone pinned the blame on her. After all, one Guardian with unknown powers, versus four guards seemed unfair for the guards. They stalked forward with a purpose; they planned to beat her up, possibly even kill her!

Behind her opened one of the doors leading down another hallway and she saw a foot connect with the guard in the front. It struck her chest and threw her against the far wall. Odin stepped into view. 

With his helmet off, Luna saw the violence swirling in his eye. “You’ve got five seconds to apologize, and about two to get the hell out of here.” 

At his side came Bianca with the same look in her eyes, and in the doorway Luna had entered from was Dan, cracking his knuckles.

_ Gods, he did that with armor on and if that isn’t scary then you’re dead inside. _

The woman picked herself off the floor, with clear intent; four of them, and four Guardians. To their unfortunate surprise, Dan’s arms were locked around two necks in a blink of an eye, Bianca had one slammed to the wall, and Odin got the last one in the back of her neck. All four were down for the count! 

_ I _ _ need some practice. _

She was helped up by Odin, who was nudged aside by Bianca to check for wounds. “Dan, help me with these four. We’re going to have words with the Queen. Bianca, Luna, you two catch up when you can.” 

Dan slung two guards onto his shoulders, but Odin gripped his two by the collars of their uniforms and chose to drag them. 

_ He’s strong enough to carry them, why is he….oh….OH...he’s taking his anger out on them. _

They were taken straight to the Queen, and when the guards at the door attempted to stop them, Odin shouldered them aside. Prince Uldren went for the gun on his side but the Queen stopped him, letting the two Guardians drop the guards at her feet. 

“Care to explain why you have my guards in, what I can only assume is, custody?” 

“Because they assaulted one of my Fireteam members. I promised her that she would be safe here, and your guards decided to make me into a liar.  _ I don’t enjoy being made a liar.” _

Luna entered the throne room in time to catch his words, and the Queen’s next question. “They have worked for me for years, and you have only been here a few hours. While you’ve proven yourself to be quite the skilled ally with the recent events being brought to light, how can I know your words are true?”

Odin beckoned to Luna, and had her Ghost float in front of him. “Show her.”

A video feed of the events that transpired in the hallway was played for all to see and hear, including the newly arrived Petra. Prince Uldren’s face contorted into a sneer at the news of Luna being a Human. “A Human, hm?” 

There was no chance for her to read between the lines, because in the corner of her eye she saw Dan’s hand clamp down on Odin’s wrist. Even with the helmet back on, her field of vision was wide enough to realize he had been going for his gun! Dan’s voice was so low it was almost impossible to hear, even standing next to him. “It isn’t worth it. I’ll shut him up.”

Prince Uldren wasn’t a fearful man, and everyone knew it, but even he withered slightly under Dan’s imposing figure when he took that step forward to tower over him. The sneer threatened to return at the sight of Dan’s helmet coming off and was removed again thanks to Dan tilting his head until they heard bones popping in his neck. 

“Something wrong with us  _ Humans? _ ” 

Silence hung in the air.

“No.” 

“Good.” 

The helmet was back on and the Queen cleared her throat to gain their attention. “While I can not change how my people view the other Races, I am disgusted with how they treat those who have given us help. I will have these four appropriately punished for their actions. I apologize on their behalf.” 

Other guards came forth to carry them off so that the only ones left in the throne room were the four Guardians, Petra, and the siblings by the throne. “Now that they are out of the way. We’ve discovered exactly what the guards who you brought in earlier were after. They are part of a splinter group, who don’t enjoy how I rule our people, and now that the Fallen are gone, have decided to take it upon themselves to dethrone me. We don’t know when they will strike, or what numbers their forces are made up of, but we imagine it to be when they see me as the most vulnerable. I would ask that the four of you help push them back when they come for me.” 

_ Your people despise us, but you will ask for protection? _

Odin and Dan looked to each other, then Bianca, and then to Luna.  _ They want my opinion? _

A faint nod was given to them and Dan spoke for the four of them. “We’ll do it; the Vanguard offered their support, and we will give it.”

“Good. Petra, I want you to continue guiding the Guardian working to track down Skolas. Everything must continue as usual so that it won’t tip them off how much we know.”

“Yes, my Queen.” Petra left immediately. Now, it was time for the rest to plan their defense.

The next few days were a blur; Luna was bounced between helping Dan repair ships, while simultaneously fortifying the hallway that led to the throne room, and lending a hand to Bianca whenever she asked for it in what passed as the medical wing of the Reef. Eventually, Odin asked for help as well. The hallway leading up to the throne room was being littered with traps from Odin’s personal stash; tripmines generated by his Light, and even one or two incendiary grenades slipped into gaps between the metal plates.

She’d place them wherever he pointed, a few chosen by her personally, and the final handful of incendiary grenades were set down at the entrance to the throne room. “There’s a few more hidden under her throne, on the off-chance they make it past us, or push us back that far.”

Luna hovered nearby as he placed the last tripwire he could. “Any idea how many there are going to be?”

“I can estimate. There’s a few colonies of Awoken out here in the Reef, this is just one of their military outposts guarding the Queen’s home, so if you factor in the sheer magnitude of people she controls, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was close to a hundred, if not more, amassing for the coming fight.”

“That many?!”

“That’s fewer than I expect, but sounds right. They can’t invest too much of their manpower on the off-chance that we’re victorious and they fail their mission.” Artic floated up to his ear to whisper something. Whatever it was, it caused him to turn towards the throne room. The doors opened like he had willed them to with his mind. 

From within strolled the Queen. “I assume the preparations are finished?” 

“They are. Have you finished with your side of the plan?” Luna saw the ghost of a smile on her face. “Yes. Everything will come together soon.”

“That it shall.”

It wasn’t even a week before the splinter group struck. The Queen’s guards were sent elsewhere and to anyone outside the small group, the Queen looked vulnerable, but that was exactly what they wanted. Ships docked at the landing zone, to offload troops, who were met with a hail of gunfire from the four Guardians. Each of them had taken cover in front of the hallway they had booby-trapped. 

Awoken rushed forward to overwhelm them with sheer numbers, but that wasn’t any help to them; Luna couldn’t keep track of how many she dropped with Thorn, but for every one, the others dropped threefold in numbers. The landing zone was littered with bodies before one of the pilots got it into their head to use the guns on it. That was part of the plan though. 

All four of them backpedaled into the hallway, though Luna saw Bianca take a shot in the throat, and drop! Dan caught her before she hit the ground and Odin pulled her Ghost with them. Seconds later, she was on her feet. 

_ A proper resurrection!  _

Dan tossed a grenade to her, then Bianca, and on his command all three of them slung their explosives into the coming horde while Odin provided covering fire with the Last Word. Bodies, and parts, flew everywhere but the rest of them moved on like it didn’t even happen. 

Odin barked out, “I’ll give you all one chance to walk away, to leave the Queen alone!” but it was futile; the Awoken ignored him and fired at them.

Dan stepped into cover and readied the Nova Mortis. “Bianca, prepare a Ward of Dawn. Luna, step back with Odin and get the next set of grenades!” 

The two stepped away to grab the grenades, and that’s when Luna felt the bullets connecting with her back. One punched through her lung, another through her kidney, third through her spine, and the final one right through the heart. As darkness flooded her vision, she saw Dan laying on his stomach within Bianca’s Ward, and sticking the barrel of his gun out of it to fire, with Odin drawing his second Hand Cannon while Bianca knelt at her side. “Five seconds; an eternity.”

There was nothing but the darkness for so long. When color returned, and her eyes saw again, Bianca was sitting her up to see the other two backing towards them. “Next spot!” 

The tripwires bought them time by wiping out whatever handful rushed forth, but their numbers were still going strong. 

“Reloading!” Dan pulled back into the Ward to reload Nova Mortis, and that’s when Odin tossed another machine gun to Bianca. “Help Dan, I’m going to start tossing the grenades.” 

The weapon was red and white, but something about it seemed strange to her.  Regardless, she helped Odin begin throwing grenades again, watching the fires incinerate all that they covered while Bianca laid down suppressing fire. Again a bullet ended her life, and that eternity in the darkness washed over her, but she came to just to immediately get back to throwing grenades; the others around her suffered similar fates, and came back strong. 

_ Experienced Guardians. What have they suffered? _

The Ward finally collapsed and that was when she saw the horde open up for a pair of Rocket Launchers! Dan yelled as he motioned for them to dive. “ _ GET DOWN!” _

Both rockets soared into their midst. 

The only one standing was Dan; Bianca was motionless, and Odin was struggling to get to his feet, but she had no strength in her. It was like her death before her Ghost found her. There was no pain, no strength to move, she was dying slowly this time. Awoken swarmed them but earned a swift hammer from Dan as he lit up with Solar energy. 

Using the hammer in his hand as a melee weapon, Awoken were slung, if they weren’t turned to ash, left and right with each swing. 

The last thing she saw was Odin make it to his feet.

When her vision next returned, the Queen herself was slowly lifting her to her feet. “It seems I may have slightly underestimated you Guardians. Quite the bodycount.” 

The hallway was full of corpses and none of the others, though she could see Prince Uldren moving out into the landing zone. 

“Come, let us see how your friends fare.” 

They found Prince Uldren standing beside the trio, watching one of the ships flying away from them. The other was docked still.

_ The survivors must have been too few for both. _

“They’re too far away. By the time our ships are scrambled they’ll be long gone.” 

Dan nudged Odin with an elbow. “Ten coins?”

“Make it twenty.”

“You’re on.” 

Luna watched the familiar light envelop Odin’s arm as he drew the Last Word and took aim with his Golden Gun. “Hey, Uldren? Let me show you why you don’t bet against Guardians.”

The single shot flew true.

On the horizon blossomed a fire made from the exploding ship. 

“Quite the shot for a man with one eye.” They looked back at the Queen even as Dan handed a small bag off to Odin. 

_ Payment for the bet. What do they use those coins for anyway? _

“I have to thank the four of you for your help. There’s no payment worthy of your deeds here, but if ever your Fireteam needs help then I will gladly give it to you. The Reef will always welcome you.”

Luna noticed Odin was still facing away, gazing into space.  _ Is that a worthy reward? _


	18. An Interrupted Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Odin discuss Hunters, and learn of a celebration for their hard work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! I barely managed to finish this in time for my personal deadline, so I'm sorry if it feels a bit short, but I do hope you enjoy! And as always, please comment!

The days following the attack on the Queen were filled with back-breaking work to repair the damage caused by the explosions. Taking a quick breather, Luna sat on a crate in front of Odin while he worked to patch up his chest armor. “So...um...I spoke to Dan the other day about the different Orders that Warlocks and Titans have, and I was wondering why Hunters don’t have any.”

Out of armor, the look on his face said it all.  _ He looks like he’s answered this too often. _

“We aren’t known to work too well in large groups.” The single eye glanced to the ceiling. “There’s a feeling most of us get when in a crowd. Like an itch in the back of our skulls that we just can’t quite scratch. Starts there, burns its way down our spine, and eventually wraps around our hearts. The noise, the number of people...the Wilds are where Hunters thrive, not in the company of others. Sometimes it’s a simple thing to push aside, like when we’re in the Tower, or when in the company of friends and family, but other times we can’t help but grow twitchy, that urge to sprint rising inside us.”

“Even if there’s no danger?” “Especially then. The Wilds are filled with things that want to kill, we  _ expect _ danger at all times. It’s not something you just shut off. Older Hunters, like myself, can bottle that up, but if it isn’t exercised at times then it’ll cause mayhem.” 

The tool in his hand was pointed to her. “Now, this doesn’t mean  _ all  _ Hunters are like that. Cayde, for example, is less of a time-bomb waiting to happen, and more of a domesticated wolf. Still powerful, but grown used to his life. If we call him one extreme, there are those on the opposite side. Pahanin, for example, was the worst kind of Hunter in the end. Started off good, but after Kabr led him and Praedyth into the Vault of Glass, he came out broken. Spent the last of his life hiding away from others, his paranoia running rampant, and yet he built himself a gun that spoke, to have someone to keep him company while he hid away from the world. Until Dredgen Yor found him, of course.”

The look in his eye was less contemplative, and now saddened. “Each one has something that works best for them; some have guns, some have people, and some have the Wilds.” 

_ The Last Word. Tyr. _ “Do you find comfort in the Wilds, like others?”

The tool returned to the armor as he pondered her question. “I do, when I need to retreat from the world. I believe the true blessing the Traveler gave to us, is the world outside the Walls that’s still a part of the old world.”  _ I _

_ never viewed it that way. The world was always out to get us when we were alone. _ “I don’t think I ever viewed it that way, if I’m honest. I always saw it as a dangerous land that would sooner tear us to shreds, than give us safety.”

“Oh, it is, and I don’t doubt that life was hard for your little clan. It’s all a matter of learning how to change your luck. A good friend of Cayde once said that when it came to luck, all that mattered was that you had the right hand tucked away in your sleeve. Probably where he learned all his bad habits.” 

The silence left behind was a comfortable one, but as always the young Warlock had more questions. “How old are you?”

“Too old.” Over his shoulder floated Artic, who decided then to chime into the conversation. “Guardian Odin is approximately four-hundred and fourteen years old, give or take a few years for the length of his previous life, and the time spent floating in space before I found him.” A puff of air left the corner of his mouth. “Like I said, too old.”

The door to the hallway opened as Dan stepped through, helmet in the process of coming off. “There isn’t much else for us to do now; the envoy sent by the Vanguard has done their job and capture the Kell leading the House of Wolves in this rebellion. Bianca has decided that she’ll be staying behind for a little while longer, help keep things steady. Petra has asked if you plan to stay as well.”

“And you gave her my answer?”

“Yeah, I told her that you had no intentions to do so.” 

“Good.” Tilting his head after a moment, he looked to Dan. “You’re not sitting. Got more to tell me, don’t you?” 

Dan nodded. “So, the Queen wants to thank us for the help.”

“Which she already did.”

“Yes, but someone got it in her head to throw a feast.” Odin lowered the tool and sat up straight. “Did anyone think to tell her that we don’t eat?” 

“She was having none of it.” 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Odin let out a groan of annoyance.  _ Is it really so bad? _ “Longer I stay here, the more I hate it. When’s the feast?” “Tonight. They’ll be sending someone to collect us when everything is ready.” “Fine. Because I really want everyone in the damn Reef to be staring at my face.” The second half of his sentence came out so quietly, Luna thought she had imagined it until Dan spoke. 

“We’ve arranged the seating to make sure you’re between us all.” There was only a nod in response.

The silence in the following few minutes was charged with an electricity that, when the servant appeared to lead them across the station, stuck with them the entire time. They were asked to remove their armor for the feast, something that even Odin eventually relented on. Luna couldn’t stand the fancy clothes she was forced into; they made her feel out of her element, but if the others could suffer in silence, then so could she. 

The banquet hall they were led to was already filled with Awoken of all kinds; some she recognized as guards that she had spoken with, while others must have been officers or other officials, for they had an air around them that gave her the chills. At the back of the room, elevated slightly above the rest, was a small table running horizontally. In the middle of it was the Queen, the Prince to her right, and Petra to his right. Four chairs were to her left; Odin, Bianca, Luna, and Dan, in that specific order. Thanks to his proximity to the Queen, whom none dared stare at for long, Odin seemed a bit more comfortable about being out of his helmet.

The food was brought out shortly after their arrival, but it wasn’t anything Luna could identify; some type of meat, vegetables perhaps, and some congealed mass of food. Her Ghost identified it in a quiet whisper to all be the appropriate protein, and nutrients, a Human, or Awoken, needed to survive. Around her, the others began to dig in with as much grace as they could each muster, knowing that in the room before them was a crowd that watched their every move, even if they didn’t show it. She followed their example as best she could, the manners not coming to her as easily as it did to them. 

So much time in the Wilds had robbed her of that kind of knowledge, as her family had been living in them for generations. Soon the tension was gone and it was almost like any other day amongst her friends, bits of banter passing back and forth, and the room filled with conversation. 

Bianca turned to Luna, glass of water in her hand. “I’ve never seen so many Awoken together, just eating and enjoying themselves. And think, we’re the reason why!” The smile on her face was one of absolute joy and pride at their successful work. The Vanguard had sent them here to broker a peace between the City, and the Reef, to bolster relationships after their original envoy has begun the fighting on the frontlines for the Queen, and it had come to fruition.

Luna glanced up to scan the room; it was a good feast, a wonderful time; until Awoken began to drop face-first into their food, or onto the table. Dozens at a time, and to their right even Petra, and Uldren fell. The Queen struggled to hold herself up, whispering something to Odin before her head dropped to the table. He caught her before that so he could lower her gently to it. 

When he turned, Dan slumped backwards into his seat, and to her side Bianca slid completely to the floor. Her own body felt heavy, the weight causing her to collapse in her chair like Dan had. The only one at their table to remain sitting up, was Odin, who watched the remaining Awoken rise from their seats. Both of his Hand Cannons were set in front of him on the table. 

The Awoken in the lead, a male, snorted at what he viewed as a useless threat. “And why did you not fall? You ingested as much as the Titan!” 

Odin slid his plate forward. “I’m a Hunter; we’re not Warlocks, who read and gain knowledge. We prefer firsthand knowledge. The day I can’t recognize the taste of jadra root, is the day I hang up my cloak.” 

As if for her sake, he added in “It’s a muscle relaxer of sorts. Paralyzes your body for a bit, but it’ll wear off in a matter of minutes, depending on how much is in your system.”

The Awoken reached for their guns, but Odin cleared his throat. “Now, to answer your question; as I stated, we prefer firsthand knowledge. I’ve ingested quite a lot of different poisons, and other such things, to build up a natural tolerance to them.”

Odin stood from his chair and rested his hands on the twin Hand Cannons; not drawing them just yet, but letting them know he meant to use them if need be. “The Queen has asked that I show you ladies and gentlemen out of the hall. If you’d kindly surrender, we can do this peacefully. Otherwise, I have no qualms about dragging you out as corpses.”

For a moment she saw a flash of emotion in his eyes that she couldn’t place.  _ He spoke of Hunters who were animals, time-bombs….which is our Hunter? _

“You can’t take all of us, even if you  _ are _ a Guardian. One man, versus a dozen? You’ll be dead before you can get a shot off.” 

Odin lifted his guns before any of them got the chance to do the same. 

That was when Luna realized what kind of Hunter he was.

Gunshots rang out, the Awoken dropping like flies until only the one who originally spoke was left standing, and when he went for his gun, Odin put a bullet in his hand. “I really can’t be bothered to care anymore. Do you surrender?” 

“I’d rather die than su-” a bullet to his forehead sent him sprawling across the floor, Odin dematerializing the Hand Cannons. “Fine by me. I’m tired of all this political bullshit anyway. Artic, if you wouldn’t mind, start distributing the antidote. I’ll deal with the bodies.” She floated around while her partner began to drag the bodies from the room. Luna was among the first treated, and her eyes went to Odin. 

_ Our Hunter seems to be keeping an animal caged. _


	19. A Prelude to the Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz leaves the Reef and Luna learns about an old tradition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how short this will be, but it's setting up for the Festival of the Lost next week! Enjoy, and please comment!

The departure from the Reef was an abrupt one. Bianca saw them off, but Odin gave a brief goodbye, before he slipped into his ship and gunned it out of the bay far quicker than the dock guards were comfortable with. Dan motioned to the slowly vanishing ship, with a chuckle. “Sorry, you know how he gets after putting on a show.” There was a quick “Don’t worry about it”, from Bianca, who gave them both a hug. “Be safe! I’ll be back to the Tower in a week or two.”

On the flight back, Luna opened a channel between her Ghost and Dan’s. “Is it alright for me to head back to Tir now?”

“Go right ahead. I’ll check in with the Vanguard, go over Odin’s report with them, and properly relax for once afterwards.”

“Thanks, see you later Dan!” Her ship broke away once they reached Earth; Dan went towards the Tower, and Luna towards Tir’s home. There was a rather tame “Welcome back” from the Warlock when she came into the room, which surprised her.  _ Maybe she missed having another in the room. _

“How went the voyage to the Reef? Did you learn anything?”

Luna took her usual seat at the desk, and pulled over Odin’s journal. “Dan taught me about the different Orders that Titans and Warlocks had. I also got the chance to hear from Odin why Hunters are so...well, Hunter-like.” 

“Oh, the head chucklefuck actually taught someone? It’s a holiday miracle.” 

That caught her attention. “Holiday?” 

Tir looked up from the book in her hands. “Ah, that’s right; you haven’t experienced the holidays of Guardians. It’s a week away, but the Festival of the Lost is approaching. A time for remembering, and honoring, those that have fallen, or been lost to us. Fellow Guardians, civilians, anyone that we wish to honor, has a candle lit for them, and sent up into the sky. There tend to be little events, games for the children, and even some for the Guardians themselves. Sometimes the Vanguard offer gifts to them, but a very common practice is to make a mask for yourself to wear, perhaps of a fallen comrade to honor them, or another person you respect, or even just of animals. It’s quite the little Festival.”

_ I should go celebrate with Matty and Johnathon. _

“It’s next week? I’ll need to prepare a mask then. Do the others celebrate it?” 

Tir’s head tilted to the side in thought. “Dan’s a bit iffy on it, but Odin is quite into the whole ‘honoring others’ thing. Have you ever been in the back of their apartment?”

“....No?”

“Next time, ask Dan to show you. It’ll give you a little insight into Fireteam Kronyz. In fact, Ghost, would you kindly show Archive Video thirty-six to Luna?” In front of her hovered the Ghost as a video was displayed; it showed the hallway in Fireteam Kronyz’ apartment, with the Ghost following Odin into the final room in the hall. 

Tir’s voice came from behind the camera. “How would she feel about you transforming her room into a trophy room?” 

Odin flipped the camera off, bringing forth a laugh from Tir. “It’s not a trophy room. It’s to help remember the ones who died. In more ways than one.” The inside of the room was nearly completely empty, except for the wall straight ahead, where four pieces of armor hung.  Luna gasped;  _ those pieces! _

The first two were cloth, familiar robes.  _ Salei, Ayela.  _

The third, a chunk of thick armor.  _ Oru. _

The final piece was a piece of armor that she knew of, but had no name to give.  _ The previous owner of the Last Word. _

“I hope that it doesn’t grow any larger than this, but if it does it’ll take quite some time to fill the room.” The camera feed shut off while Tir returned to the book in her lap. “I haven’t seen if it’s grown since the last time I was there, but I’m sure they have quite the collection now.” 

The faint memory of the corrupted Guardians sprung to mind.  _ He had pieces of armor from each of them. Did they join his comrades? _ The thought passed her by when another came to mind; what kind of mask would she wear? “Ghost, can you materialize spinmetal and some paint for me?” 

“Of course!” Once the materials were on the desk in front of her, it was a matter of coming up with the design of the mask. Luckily, she had an image in mind.

A few days later, Luna was once more inside Fireteam Kronyz apartment; Odin and Dan were with her, but Bianca was still on the Reef for a while longer. When she had shown up at Dan’s request, it was with the belief a mission had been issued. Turns out, their Fireteam had a tradition to uphold. Dan’s Ghost kept a blueprint suspended in the air for the trio. “We’ve got the building set up for it, as always, but this time we want to make it a little more simple. Less work, but something a bit more powerful in its delivery.” 

“And the point is to...scare, kids?”

Odin shook his head, motioning to the blueprint with a glass of water in his hand. “No, it’s to scare  _ everyone _ . It’s all fun and games, so it’s not like they won’t be expecting it, but we want to go above, and beyond, what they’re expecting. Now we don’t want to get too scary; scarring children for life isn’t the purpose of it. Dan usually handles building the props, and Bianca paints them, while I get into whatever monster they come up with, since I’m the best at sneaking around. But, we were hoping you’d help us out since you’re an official member of our Fireteam.”

_ They’ve said it so many times, but it still feels amazing to hear it. _ “I’d be happy to!” It was grins all around. Dan mentioned going down to start figuring out the props for their haunted house, and was gone in seconds, leaving Luna to wander towards that final room of the apartment. Odin noticed the direction she went and followed after.

“Tir’s got to stop revealing all our secrets. Come on, I’ll show you.”

He produced a key, opening the formerly locked room, and let her step in for a sight that nearly stopped her heart. The wall in front, to the left, and to the right, held pieces of armor, weapons, and what looked like... _ Ghosts. _ “For every comrade felled by the Darkness, or even those corrupted by it, we honor their memory. Some of these mark the ones killed in action, while others are...well, I’m sure you can recognize the armor pieces from our Guardians from the Hangar.”

Something Luna noticed, was the MG that Odin had passed to Bianca on the Reef; it was propped up on the wall in front of them, the wall that had to be Odin’s. Which made the ones to the left, and right, Dan and Bianca’s….

_ They take personal responsibility for those to fall before them, friend or foe. _

“That isn’t your gun?” 

Odin’s gaze fell on the weapon, and shook his head. “No. That was Pahanin’s gun, that he built himself after returning from the Vault. He went crazy, wanting to be alone, and yet not alone. So he built a weapon that spoke to him. When he died, his possessions were given to the people left in his Will.”

“He...he had a Will?” 

Odin crossed his arms. “All Guardians have a Will. At least, all the older ones. We know we won’t live forever; we’re not invincible after all.”

“Do you have a Will?”

“Yes. The few things I care about will be distributed amongst the Fireteam.” As he turned to walk away, her eyes followed him. 

_ Crota has been defeated. If he survived that, what does he fear could bring him down? _


	20. Festival of the Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Matthew have a sweet little moment while celebrating the Festival, and she gains the final piece of insight about Fireteam Kronyz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! I did it! Barely, but this is released on Halloween just like I planned. I hope you all enjoy, and as always, please comment!

The work on the house was finished the night before, barely a few hours left before the sun would rise on the horizon, and Luna was told to get some sleep; it would be an early start to make sure everything was in place, but the real Festival wasn’t due to truly start until the sun was setting. Luna didn’t participate in learning the entire layout of the house, or the various traps and whatnot, because she would be going with Matthew later in the night, and hated the thought of ruining the fun for him. 

When she rose from her sleep, Odin and Dan were already back down at the house, which left her to get up, get dressed, head out to find Matthew, and show off her mask. It was modeled after a wild animal from the Wilds, a cat, that she once spotted prowling around their camp years ago. It had stuck in her mind ever since; the creature had been majestic. 

When she arrived at Eva’s stand, a bunch of Guardians were milling about, but Matthew came through them; the mask he wore was actually of Odin’s helmet! “Matty, what are you wearing?” 

“It’s an extra helmet that Cayde found for me!”

_ Oh lord, it’s a real helmet? _ “Well it looks great on you. Are you ready to go?” 

“Yeah! And look, Ms. Eva gave me some candy!” He thrust a small bucket at her, a handful of candy already rattling around inside.

Once assured he has thanked Eva, she took him down into the City to begin their night of fun. Stalls lined the streets, giving out food or treats to any child that came up to them. Everyone was out and about; Guardians, Civilians, Children. The only people not inside the City itself, celebrating, were the Vanguard up in their hall, and the Guardians who volunteered to man the walls, so that the City guards could celebrate with whatever family they had. Many a child was dressed up like Guardians, similar to Matthew, and sometimes they were with the very Guardians they had chosen to mimic. 

_ Are they figures they look up to? Are they parents? _

Some certainly treated the children like they were their own.  _ Speaking of, where in the hell is Jonathon? _

The answer came in the form of Matthew calling out, “Jonathon!” To her surprise, he was dressed in the armor of a Titan, minus the helmet. “Hey you two. Sorry, it took a while to get this armor on; I’m supposed to be a guard for Dan’s house, help make sure the kids don’t get too scared.”

“Oh, good! We were just heading over there. Come on Matty, let’s see how they’re doing.” The house in particular, had a small line out front, and Zavalla of all people standing at the door! His head was twisted, and looked to be barking out some kind of order. 

_ What is he doing here? _

“It gets more realistic each time I see it.” Zavalla turned, and she realized that it was a mask draped over the side of Dan’s helmet!

“Where’d you get that mask? I don’t remember you having that last night.”

“It’s an...old mask. I try not to let Zavalla see it. Think that’s bad, you should see Cayde’s. He’s wearing one of Eris.”  _ Oh how has she not killed him? _ “Is...You-know-who, inside?” 

“Naturally. Everything is set up, and ready. The next group is about to go in if you and Matthew would like to join them.”

“Sure.” Matthew and her moved into the building with the group that had been hanging outside; Jonathon came with them, but she had a feeling he was in on the scares.

The foyer they entered into was barely lit by the candles that were spread over the floor; enough light allowed them to see that only one of the three doors were open, the one straight ahead. Jonathon took the lead, filling the role of guard, and Luna got to see their hard work in action. The walls, ceilings, even the floors were decorated in such a fashion that to those who hadn’t worked on it believed it to be the scene of a murder; “blood” splattered all over the place, dripping down the walls to pool on the floor. 

“Bones” were littered about the hall, with scraps of cloth still clinging to them. Matthew stepped closer to her, if even a little, and it caused Luna’s heart to skip a beat.  _ It’s been so long since he stood so close, wanting me to protect him. _

One arm wrapped around him. So busy was she with Matthew, she didn’t see the faint shimmer at the end of the hall. Something was watching them. As they continued, twists and turns held surprises for them; fake Vex springing from nowhere, Cabal roars shaking their bones; at one point Luna swore that something akin to a dragon floated through the walls ahead of them! 

In the dark of the hallway, eyes stared out from the shadows; familiar, piercing eyes.  _ Fallen. _

For a moment she lost the ability to breathe. A fear washed over her, and if not for the realization that she remembered that this was inside the City, in a house made for scaring people, then she might have drawn her gun right then and there. None of the others noticed the eyes; not until they vanished, and from the nearby wall burst a Fallen Kell! Big enough that it needed to slouch to fit in the hall, it sent the entire group sprinting away in a mixture of screams and whimpers!

_ Is that Odin? It can’t be, he’s huge! Who’s in the costume?! _

Up ahead, the Kell burst through yet another wall, but only to drag Jonathon through it! “Get off me, beast!” 

Luna nudged the remaining people to speed up, glancing back in time to see blood spray from the hole!  _ God I hope that’s the fake stuff. _ The longer they ran, the more Luna wished she’d actually memorized the layout.  _ The house wasn’t this big; how are we not out yet?! _ Up ahead, the group came to a halt; Jonathon’s body was in a bloody heap against the wall, and no one was willing to pass by him to keep running. She couldn’t bring herself to move forward, not with Matthew clinging to her arm. 

From behind came the sound of booming footsteps; the Kell was right there! From behind the Kell appeared Odin, leaping onto its back and stabbing it in the neck. “Everyone, run! Past this thing, to the exit!” The two went through the wall, sounds of fighting snapping them out of their stupor. When they made it to the exit, Luna grabbed Dan’s arm. “Dan, there’s a Kell loose in the house! A damn  _ Kell _ !”

An arm wrapped around her shoulders, Jonathon’s voice echoing in the air. “Ah, it’ll be fine. What’s the worst that can happen?”

Matthew nearly tackled him to the ground, laughing in glee as it set in that it was all a prank. “Glad to see you all enjoyed it.” Odin’s voice caused her to jump, Jonathon’s laughter ringing in her ears.

_ Wait a second… _ ”Wait, who’s the Kell? I thought it would be you, Odin.”

“Oh, just a dear old friend of ours.” Something caught his attention, and he brought her gaze skyward with his. Orbs were floating up into the sky.  _ What in the world? _

“For those we’ve lost. It’s about time. Dan, you coming?” “Just like I tell you every year, it’s not my kind of thing.” “And I ask anyway. I’ll be back.” Jonathon nudged her, smiling. “I’ll take Matty for a bit.”  _ You sneaky dog.  _

“Thanks!”

It takes her the entire walk to the Plaza of the Tower, but she catches up to Odin near the railing overlooking the City. There were three orbs at his feet, and she noticed that each held a different color; a blue, a red, and a green. “Are those for your old Fireteam?” 

“Sort of. One for me, to another.” The blue went floating into the air.

“One for Dan, to another.” That was the red, joining the first.

“One for Tir, for another.” The final one, the green, and Odin rested his hands on the railing.

_ He finally looks his age. _

She realized, he wore no mask, but he spoke up like he knew her thoughts. “I already wear a mask, what need do I have for another?” 

Sighing, he gazed down to the City and barely registered her hand on his shoulder. “Tell me, Luna. Do you know what it’s like to lose your family in the blink of an eye?” 

_ The Battle of the Gap, back to haunt him? _

In the silence, he rose to his full height. “Fireteam Kronyz, as you know it, is the fourth version. From the first, three people survived. A Titan, nearly consumed by his own fire.”

_ Dan. _

“A Hunter, paralyzed by a fear of the dark.”

_ Odin.  _

“A Warlock, hungry for knowledge on how to survive.” 

_ Tir. _

“The three have always survived. The three will  _ always _ survive. Even when the others around them die. It’s a burden none should carry.” He stepped away from the railing, and she barely caught his final words, before he vanished into the night. 

“For Matthew’s sake, Luna? Grow strong. Stronger than us.”


	21. Back to the Wilds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna handles a patrol all on her own!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the start of something different folks! Now the story will begin to focus a bit more on Luna and her life outside of Fireteam Kronyz, to see how the young Guardian handles herself. Look out for next week, when she does her first Crucible match! As always, enjoy, and please comment!

It was only a few days after the Festival, but Odin’s words still echoed in Luna’s mind.  _ How does one get stronger than the strongest there is? _ It was a puzzle for her to ponder as she strode into the Vanguard hall; Ikora had summoned her for a patrol, but she had heard nothing else. The aforementioned Vanguard stood at her corner of the table, wielding a bright smile for her. “Greetings, Luna; are you up for a trip outside the Walls?” “Always!” Ikora motioned to her Ghost, who projected the image of a small map. “Out in the Cosmodrome, there’s a group of Hive that are amassing in the Mothyards. They’re using the caves to hide their forces, but they’ve already had a few skirmishes with the Fallen already, so we’ve learned of their relative forces.” It was here that she paused. There was some emotion swirling in her eyes. “A single Guardian is enough, but if you need any help, you can bring the others with you. Or perhaps I can summon another Warlock to assist.” _ Stronger. Grow stronger. _ “Bianca isn’t back from the Reef yet, Odin is off on his own patrol on Venus, and Dan was sent to the Forge or something. I can manage a few Hive on my own.”  _ I survived Crota’s wrath after all. _ “If you think you can, then so be it. Good luck in the field, Guardian.”

One short flight later, followed by a Sparrow ride to the edges of the Mothyards, Luna was slinking through the remains of aircraft that littered the field. No Fallen had been seen when she scouted the area, so it let her move a little faster towards the caves on the other end of the field.

Unfortunately, she had been wrong in her scouting endeavors. The air shimmered at her side and she was lifted off her feet by an unseen force!  _ Fingers! Someone is here! _ The grip on her throat was like an unyielding vice.

“Luna, Fallen detected!”  _ Gee, a little late on the heads-up! _

The Thorn was drawn with one hand while the other clamped down on what should have been thin air, but in actuality was the forearm of a Fallen Vandal! Whatever it was planning to do next, Luna fired off three rounds into the air approximately where its chest should be. The grip vanished, as did the cloak, and down went the Vandal with three bullets lodged in its torso, not even getting out a gurgle before it died. Luna rubbed at her throat to alleviate the lingering ache from the fingers, her Ghost floating over her shoulder.

“I have scanned the surrounding area, there are no more cloaked Fallen.” “And you didn’t think to warn me?” “I thought an intellectual like you would have known there would be cloaked warriors here to keep an eye on the Hive.” 

_ Times like these make me wish you were more like the others’ Ghosts. _

A thought occurred to her; if she had missed them, what else might she have missed? It led to her climbing atop one of the downed planes and laying on her stomach, gazing through the scope of her Scout Rifle. The cave she had been tasked with clearing out was in her sights, Acolytes and Thralls crowding the entrance. “I estimate a dozen more inside. Knights are likely, as is the possibility of an Ogre or Wizard.”  _ The cave isn’t but so big. _ “I can handle it. I’ll use my abilities to clear the cave out in one fell swoop.” 

She dropped off the plane onto her feet, taking off for the cave the moment she had balance and took aim at the Hive while on the move. Each pull of the trigger was a target turned to ash; first the Acolytes, with their ranged weapons, and then the Thralls who would have been on her in a matter of seconds if she let them. Hive Ash hung in the air but her helmet kept it from stifling her senses when she entered the cave itself. 

What greeted her was a handful of Knights, some with swords and others with cannons, but what caught her attention was the Wizard, floating around an Ogre!  _ I hate when he’s right. _

They all turned towards her in time with her own surge of powers, Light rushing through her. For the second time she used the power of Arc, seeing it dance across her fingers as it lifted her off the ground, and it shot forth into the closest Knight. That power, that strength, it was euphoric as always. She had kept the words she had once heard, back on that very first day she saw Odin in action in the Crucible, in her mind.  _ Do not use a Super until absolutely necessary. _

_ Well, this would be one of those times. _

The Knights fell to her lightning like chaff before the wind, turning to ashes before swords could be swung, or cannons could be fired. The Ogre was next, its roar almost knocking her from her ability, but even though she could feel the Light draining from her, she pushed herself to the absolute limit; she would not let the lightning stop until the monster before her fell! The Ogre was stunned, but not for long enough; it fired its own laser back at her. The blast struck her, and threw her backwards as the Ogre crumbled like the rest. 

In the haze left behind from the pain, she noticed a shadow flashing by.  _ The Wizard! It’s escaping! _

Stumbling to her feet, she found her Scout Rifle on the floor of the cave, in a puddle of water. Bringing it to her shoulder, a single pull of the trigger revealed it to be jammed.  _ Piece of junk! _

Thorn was drawn from its holster, but the Wizard was already too far away for a Hand Cannon.  _ No, no, no! It can’t get away! It can’t! _

From the back of her mind came a memory, a portion of Odin’s journal.  _ The Light is a part of us now, so many powers granted, but the strongest is one that we’ve always had within us. Imagination. _

Luna didn’t even know why she did it, but she brought her hand back like she planned to throw a ball. What flew from her hand when she swung, was not a ball, but a javelin made of lightning! It soared through the air as if it was locked onto the Wizard, and pierced clean through its head. She fell to her knees laughing in glee; she had done it! A job, completed all on her own! 

Unknown to her, standing on a hill overlooking the Mothyards, Odin was crouched with a Sniper Rifle over his knees. Artic floated above his head. “She has completed Ikora’s patrol. Will we stay longer?” He rose, the Rifle over his shoulder now. “No. I only decided to come here after my own patrol to make sure she was fine. Our little Guardian has come a long way. She handled herself even better than when we took the fight to Crota. I guess she took my words to heart.” He turned and vanished into the Wilds, leaving Luna to continue her celebration alone.


	22. Welcome To The Jungle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna's first attempt at Crucible; a Rumble match, just like Odin's. Will she make it to the top, or come up short?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone, Luna's first shot at Crucible! I hope everyone enjoys it, and as always, please comment! And, do pardon any mistakes you may find; I'm running on no sleep, so it might be a bit rough around the edges.

Another summons from Ikora had brought her to the Vanguard Hall. This one wasn’t for a patrol, but was of a nature she was only vaguely knew; the Crucible. Six Guardians would be thrown into an area. Two Guardians from each Vanguard, though it was still going to be a free-for-all, and the idea was to see how they were progressing in their skills. 

The truth was far more simple, that even if they had a professional air, they still were just like the rest of the plebs. 

_ A contest to see which Class is better. _

No information was given to her about who the other Guardians were, but as she transferred into the Crucible’s flight lanes, and headed for the coordinates, she recognized the landing zone.  _ Asylum. The place I saw my first Crucible match. _

In the blink of an eye, she was in the ruins of a parking lot with the Thorn drawn.  _ Good thing the Thorn was cleared by the Speaker, otherwise it wouldn’t be allowed. _

Five other Guardians would be here with her.  _ Would it be anyone I know? What if I have to face Odin, or Dan? _

Above her boomed the familiar voice of Shaxx. “First Blood!”  _ Already?! _ Outside, the bullets were flying back and forth as Guardians traded fire with one another. The other Warlock turned out to be Liam, the Warlock she had been told descended into the Vault of Glass with the others. He was under fire from two Titans she didn’t recognize. Apparently they planned to work together, and one of them would take the win at the last second. 

_ Time to remind them that there’s two Warlocks as well! _ At least, the had been the plan, until Aura dropped down behind the Titans, and blew one away with a single shotgun blast to the back of the head! Her companion must have been the first to drop, because she quickly pumped the shotgun and knocked back the second Titan with a startling ferocity.

Liam took advantage of the chaos to fire off a few well placed rounds that stole the kill from her. They locked eyes, or Luna thought they did, and fired. Now it was her turn.  _ I can’t fall behind. Sorry Liam! _

In their weakened states, a single shot from Thorn for each of them was more than enough. “Double Play!” Something inside her began to burn. Some fire, lit by the pride she felt in hearing Shaxx’s voice calling out her achievement. There was no stopping her now. Guardians swarmed the same area they had just died in; no use hunting each other down, it was time to fight until the ground turned red. 

The Titans were a force to be reckoned with for most, but Thorn penetrated armor, poisoned them, it made them easy enough to bring down. Aura, on the other hand, was bit harder without a distraction. After all, how could she kill her when she couldn’t see her half the time? 

_ Odin wrote about Bladedancers. Said they could bend Light around themselves, make a cloak like the Fallen. Listen for the sounds _ .

Not until Aura snuck up on her the first time, did Luna pinpoint the sound of the footsteps that belonged to Aura.

_ Not as heavy as others; the lightest of pressure, faintest of sounds. _

But, it was too late for her to react the first time; Aura’s shotgun ripped through her back like she was made of paper. Darkness overtook her and her Ghost dropped her a few meters away, inside a ruined building. The first step she took in her second life was drowned out by the sound of a familiar snap. A trail of fire hung in the air; one, two, three trails fading like afterimages. 

_ Golden Gun. Aura’s companion is a Gunslinger! _

She had seen what that could do, it was far more dangerous than Aura herself. After all, a Gunslinger could take you out in one shot and you didn’t have to even be near them. Like a well-placed Sniper round. Thankfully, Shaxx had set down restrictions in the Crucible, as she was told, because three was the maximum amount of times a Gunslinger could fire. Otherwise, they’d wipe teams out time and time again. 

_ Especially one like Odin. _

The thought nearly caused her to miss Aura’s second attack. It ran rampant while she dodged around Aura, putting four well-placed shots into the back of her head.  _ What if it’s Odin? Could I actually win against him? _

Without even realizing it, thanks to her thoughts, she ducked and weaved through the battlefield like an angel of death, firing left and right. Unknown to her, in the stands where she once watched Odin fight, she had her own audience. Dan and Odin sat together, with Matthew sitting between the two, watching one of the larger screens showing her Luna, who was the current MVP. 

With Matthew so heavily focused on his sister, it gave the two Guardians time to chat without having to answer questions he might throw their way. “I’m surprised you’re not down there yourself. Figured Cayde would have begged for you to be in it.” 

Odin’s fingers lightly drummed on the butt of the Last Word. “The same could be said of Zavala, and yourself.”

Dan’s fingers twitched at his belt as if itching to materialize a Hammer of Sol. “Wouldn’t be right of us.”

“Agreed.”

“Plus, I want to see this new ability of hers. You said she used it to take out a Witch at range?” 

“A good hundred meters, if not further.”

On the screen, Luna activated Stormcaller like she knew they were waiting for it. One of the Titans had gathered Arc energy of his own to wrap around his fists, but to the amazement of everyone in the stands, and on the field, Luna threw a javelin that snapped his head back, and took the Titan out of commission in a single hit! Dan and Odin leaned forward simultaneously, more out of instinct than to actually get a better view.

Matthew beamed up at them. “Look! Luna’s getting better!” 

Dan crossed both arms over his chest. “Like Tir, but less ‘Mother Nature’ and more ‘Zeus’.” 

A handful of javelins flew from Luna, a Guardian felled by each, and Odin tapped a finger for each. 

_ One.  _

_ Two.  _

_ Three. _

_ Four. _

_ Five.  _

_ Counting the first, that’s six. After this, Shaxx will probably limit her to three. Can’t blame him, or her, for not knowing how strong these are. But then again, less available shots, the stronger the Light will be in them. _

It was down to a standoff in the end. All six of them in a circle, gunning for the last few precious kills that would push one of them over the top. Guns were raised to take aim but no one had the guts to start the shooting. Fair enough, considering that whoever shot first would become a target, and then the same would be said of whoever killed them, and so on, until there was only one standing. Dan held up two fingers, Odin three, and Matthew glanced back and forth between them. 

“What are you-” The two Guardians twisting his head back towards the screen cut him off, just in time for him to witness the outcome. It was a simultaneous attack on all sides.

_ Aura, felled by Liam. _

_ Liam felled by Titan numero uno. _

_ Said Titan downed by Luna. _

Matthew cried out in shock, as Luna was thrown back by the second Titan. Odin and Dan each groaned.  _ Luna downed by Titan numero dos.  _

_ Them, by Aura’s companion. _

That was the match; the Hunter was last standing as the clock ticked to zero. They were the winner, with one more kill than Luna in second place. Across the stands, Cayde shot to his feet with a holler. “ _ Yeah! Go Hunters!” _

Odin pressed a hand to his helmet, amplifying the sound of his voice. “You owe me Glimmer for this one!” He immediately sat down, out of sight of Odin. “That’s what I thought. Well Dan, looks like the pot gets this one. I had a bit more hope for Luna.”

Matthew looked back at them. “What are you talking about?”

Dan flashed the two fingers in front of him. “Two kills.”

Odin flashed three. “Three kills. We made a bet to see how many people she’d take out in the end. Neither of us were right, so it gets dropped in a pot back at the apartment. Like potential winnings for a lottery.”

They leaned back in the seat, and Matthew grinned. “Still, she did amazing! Luna is strong!” 

_ And growing stronger every day. _


	23. War Comes Knocking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> News reaches Fireteam Kronyz, in the most unusual way, of a battle out by Saturn, and a nightmare that Luna watches tear Odin apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank goodness for little miracles! I didn't think I'd manage to get this out on time; my laptop is done, and I had to borrow another until I can have it replaced. Hope you all enjoy the beginning of this next arc, and as always please comment!

Weeks passed after the Crucible match. Luna had taken on a dozen more patrols, each on her own, and thus hadn'tseen much of the others since the last time they were together on the Reef. Odin though, she saw more than a few times; most of the time it would be when he was visiting Cayde to get missions, but once or twice she saw him over by Eris, speaking in hushed tones. Today was one of those days.

Something about how easily she spoke with Odin, when she could barely stand most others, or acted so strangely towards some, felt odd. There had been nothing in the journal so far that explained their relationship. Luna shook her head and chided herself; it was none of her business. Trying to ignore the two of them speaking, she didn't notice Eris' posture straighten as Odin began to shake. Only when Eris' voice reached her ears did she turn.

"Vanguard!" All eyes flew to Eris just to see Odin grip the sides of his helmet, and roar like a wild beast. To his knees fell the Hunter.

Ikora and Luna reached him at the same time; they both planned to help him to his feet, but pulled back when they realized something. _Blood. That's blood running from under his helmet!_

For the briefest moment in time, the roles of the two Hunters were reversed; Eris stood tall and strong, and Odin was hunched over in pain. " _Voices, screaming in my head!"_ He threw his head back so quickly she feared his neck would snap. A second, louder scream tore from his throat, and he fell forward into Eris' arms. The Hunter didn't seem to know what to do with him.

_She actually looks concerned for once._

Luna moved a step closer to the pair. "I'll take him to Bianca, she'll help him." In the heartbeat between her words, and Eris' response, she almost seemed unwilling to let go of him, but she let Luna lift his arm over her shoulder and slip her own around his waist. He was heavy, but she'd make it to the medical wing easily enough.

That was the front she put up at least. _I swear you're really just a Titan wearing small armor, you fat bastard._

Lucky for her, he seemed to come back to himself, if just only enough so that he could put weight on his feet, and keep from collapsing on her. They moved in silence all the way to one of the empty rooms in the medical wing, and Bianca met them as Luna sat him down on the available bed. "What happened to the old man now?"

 _Something terrible._ "I don't know. He just screamed in pain, and-" Odin weakly raised his hand, waving off her explanation. Instead of telling, he chose to pop the seal on his helmet and lift it off. At the first look, Luna's heart stopped; the eye that was usually white, had turned red! Blood was pooling in it and running down his face in alarming quantity, with no signs of stopping even as it dripped off the armor and stained the once white scarf that wrapped around his neck.

The voice that came from him, was not the one she was used to; he sounded broken, like he had just seen his worst nightmares condensed into a single breath. "Something terrible. I need to speak with Eris."

Bianca put a hand on his shoulder so he wouldn't immediately run off. "It can wait. First, let your Ghost heal you. You look like death."

"I feel like it." Artic floated around his head, giving off a faint beam of Light that worked to repair whatever damage was inside of his skull. Once the blood stopped flowing down his face, Bianca wiped it off but she couldn't pull off the scarf before he hopped from the bed and tottered out the room.

For a recently harmed man, he moved rather fast and it forced them to speed up to catch him when he came into the Vanguard Hall. There, Eris was just walking away from Zavala and Ikora. Cayde was nowhere to be found for once. Odin caught Eris by the elbow when she went to step past, voice low and faint. "What I heard, is it true?"

"....Yes."

_What did he hear?_

It looked, for a moment, as if Odin was about to collapse. Eris; hand rested on his own. "There is always more darkness to overcome." Luna could see Odin squeeze her hand before he stepped away, and spun on his heel. "Nothing ever like this." He brushed past Bianca and herself, forcing them to spin as well if they wanted to catch up with him.

Bianca's fingers wrapped around his wrist. "Odin, tell us what's going on!"

He pulled from her grasp like he'd been burned, clutching it to his chest. _Wild, like a wounded animal._

"I heard the voices of the Hive, like Eris has before, but this was a voice much different than usual. Crota was just the beginning. Apparently he wasn't just a god. He was a god with a father."

They both froze in place. _No...No, no, no!_

"And dear old Daddy has come a knockin'." _It nearly killed us to defeat his son._

Fingers briefly touched his helmet, close to where his eye was. "He spoke directly to me. Told me he knew I had been the one to finish off his son, that he would come for me first." Luna couldn't stop the gasp that slipped past her lips.

_He's a target._

"And that's not even the worst part." _What could be worse than that?_

"Crota's father, Oryx as he called himself, didn't come alone. He brought an army. One that he used against the Queen's fleet in the Reef." _Oh no._ "He wiped out the vast majority of her fleet, and the Queen, along with her brother, are missing. Presumed dead." She could see his fingers digging into the scarf around his neck. "War has come to our doorstep. One we may not be able to stop."

Odin gazed back towards the Vanguard Hall. "They'll need to pull out all the stops. I'm going out into the Wilds, to look for any and every asset possible for them. I'll return when it's time to make a push." Luna didn't get a word in edgewise; he slipped from the hall in the time it took her to open her mouth to speak.

"Don't let it get to you. Crota was bad enough, but this? A force that wiped out the Reef, and is supposedly stronger than Crota? This is his worst nightmare come to life. Come on, let's find Dan."

They found the Sunbreaker in the one place they didn't expect; down in the lounge beneath the Hangar. Coming up behind him to catch his attention, they realized he was sitting with another Titan, a man they didn't recognize. Bright blue eyes, bursting with an eagerness Luna had never seen before, and dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail that bobbed with his head.

"I can't believe it, _the_ Dan Merris, survivor of the Faction Wars, and the Battles of Six Fronts, and Burning Lakes, and-"

"And a dozen other things. We'd be here all day if you listed them all off. I get it, you're excited."

I'm sorry, it's just that..it's you! Oh man I can't wait to tell everyone!" Even Luna felt herself tuning out the Titan, who rambled on about this and that. What drew her back to the present, was the sound of metal on metal; Dan's head was drooping, scraping itself against his chest. He must have caught them out the corner of his eye, because he spun on the stool. "Luna, Bianca, what brings you two here?"

_A nightmare._

It didn't take them long to spell it out for him; Crota's father was here, and out for blood. Odin was off to do whatever while the Vanguard seemed to be working on a plan to assault the fleet. "No wonder they gave me a protégée then. I just thought he needed a little extra help, but if there's war on our doorstep, we'll need to make soldiers, and fast."

He rose from the stool. "Come on kid."

"It's Hersh, sir!"

"Make it a week, and maybe I'll learn your name. Get to the hangar, we're going to go find ourselves a Hunter."

Hersh's head cocked to the side. "What do we need a Hunter for? We already have three Titans here." "You'll see. Just get to the hangar. Luna, want to come with? I'm sure it'll be an interesting time."

 _It'll be good to check on Odin._ "Sure!"

Bianca's Ghost whispered something to her that made her frown. "The Vanguard want me. You three go find the old man, I'll speak with the Vanguard, and meet up later with you."

"Sounds good. I'll ping you the location when we find him." Luna followed after Dan, and by extension Hersh, who scurried after Dan like a puppy. _This is going to be a fun time._

"So Luna, what did he say? That he was going to get assets for the Vanguard?" "Yeah; he told us they would need everything they could get, so he would go get some."

"Well, only one place he could be then. We're off to the Wall."

 _That doesn't make any sense._ "The Wall? He could be anywhere on the Wall; it covers the whole City, and a good portion of the Cosmodrome!"

Dan looked over his shoulder at her. "Yeah, but I know exactly where he'd be going. Remember, I've been with him since the beginning. So has Tir; ask her where he would go for weapons and stuff, and she'd say the same thing." Her confusion brought forth a low chuckle.

"Asgard!" _Oh, this'll be good._ **  
**


	24. Home Away From Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna gets a history lesson from Dan, and witnesses something she thought impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and as always, please comment!

When Dan told her that they were going to a "hole in the wall" that Odin had stashed a variety of weapons in, she hand't been prepared for what it was; a Tower! Long since abandoned, she could see that nature had reclaimed it long ago. The trio landed in its plaza, with Dan in the lead, Hersh almost directly behind him, and Luna to his side.

_It' s beautiful, and sad, all at once._

"Dan, what happened here? Why is this Tower abandoned?"

He looked back at her, scanning the area with a slow turn of his head. "Just like all the other Towers; it was brought down. Many fell to the forces of Darkness; Fallen, Hive, whatnot. Others by our own devices."

A single hand rose up, to touch the closest banner. It was impossible to tell what once was embroidered on it. "There's a Tower a ways away, Bannerfall, that fell because a Faction of Guardians once rose up against the Vanguard."

_Why would they do such a thing._

"They were put down, and that Tower ruined in the end." They followed after Dan, who reached out to pat a wall they passed. "The rest are destroyed; this one is more rubble than anything. So many parts of it ruined and destroyed, only a handful of rooms still left untouched. The perfect place to stash things."

Just like he said, there weren't many rooms untouched, but they entered what should have been the Vanguard Hall, to find Odin! He was rummaging through a single crate left in the corner of the Hall, mumbling occasionally to Artic. 

_I wonder if the others have named their Ghosts. I need to speak with mine about giving him a name._

"Oh! We have guests!" He tilted his head back, gazing at the trio entering the Hall. There was only silence. _Is...Is he okay? Are we not supposed to be here?_

 "Who's the kid?"

Hersh put his fists on his hips, chest practically swelling like a balloon- _with anger? Pride?- "_ The name's Hersh, Hunter, and I'm Dan's new student!"

Luna nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Odin's laughter. It was a deep rumble that grew higher in pitch, until she knew it was close to bringing him to tears. Infectious as it was, she couldn't help the giggle that escaped before she could calm herself. "Oh, man, the Vanguard stuck you with him? That's just beautiful."

Artic let out a faint hum. "Statistically speaking, if they gave _him_ one, then they'll be giving _you_ one soon." "Oh piss, that's true." The two started whispering amongst themselves, Luna catching the occasional "Hunter" and "think they'd be smart?" from them, before Hersh spoke up again. "Hunter! We came to get you, the least you could do is thank us, especially Dan!"

Hersh didn't see it, but Luna watched Dan reach up, fingers pressing to his helmet like he was experiencing a headache. Odin, on the other hand, turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, what? For starters, you're acting like I was in danger or something, when I'm very clearly not. Second, what the hell would I thank Dan for, when he just came to see what I was up to?"

With each word that came from him, Odin would step ever closer to Hersh, until he towered over the Titan, who stood a good foot shorter than him

"I'm not a fan of Titans that treat Hunters like they're beneath them. Is that what you are? Or are you just such a devoted fan of Dan, that you think others are beneath him? Because, let me tell you something." Odin grabbed Hersh by the collar of his armor, and lifted him off his feet! "You call me Hunter, with that tone of voice that implies you think I'm beneath you, or Dan, or anyone else, and I will personally make you my bitch."

Luna couldn't see underneath Hersh's helmet, but she _did_ see the way his legs were shaking ever so slightly when he was set down. _That's one scary Hunter. I never thought he'd snap like-_ laughter from both Dan, and Odin, broke her train of thought right in two.

"Laying it on a little thick, weren't you?" Dan lightly punched Odin's shoulder, rocking him back on his heels.

"Oh come on, you know you thought it was funny! I mean look at him, he looks like he's ready to piss himself!"

Dan shook his head, nudging Hersh with an elbow. "He's been in a Fireteam with me since we were first Guardians; the day he's beneath me, respect-wise, is never coming. And, as you can see, he's stronger than you think; why else do you think we keep him around?"

"I figured it was for my charming personality, and devilish good looks."

Luna's voice turned their heads. "Careful, or you'll turn into Cayde!" There was laughter from all three, and Luna couldn't stop smiling under her helmet. _This is what I've always wanted. These are the people I trust with my family; that ARE my family._

Odin finally turned back to the crate he'd been messing with, and motioned to it."I've been gathering armor, weapons, whatever needed. I've got them organized into groups for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans. The last crate here, I figured I'd let you hand off some to New Monarchy before I gave the rest to Zavala." Dan's Ghost hovered over the crate, and digitized it, taking it into his inventory. "I'll make sure they pass it along. Ready to get going then? We can help you redistribute these."

"Yeah, been here too long already." Odin stepped in line with the three of them, giving her the chance to glance up to him. "So, Asgard huh?"

He drew in a sharp breath. "Really Dan, you told her?" Dan's chuckling was the only response he got.

"Yes, I called it Asgard a long time ago, when it was still a proper Tower. It was the one I operated out of most of the time. My home, of sorts. Home away from home, really; the Wilds have always been more my style, until the apartment became my workshop."

As he spoke, she realized that he had reached up, and gripped his scarf. _It's still more red than white. I wonder when he'll have it cleaned._

Something flashed, off to the side of the plaza, and Dan held up a hand. "What was that?" Hersh drew his weapon, an auto rifle, and brought it to his shoulder. "Nothing we can't handle!" Odin shoved the barrel of his gun down and stepped in front of him. Whatever Odin said next, was in a language she didn't recognize. _It sounds so familiar. What is it?_

A response came back, and he nodded. "Overstayed our welcome. Let's go."

"What was it?" Odin barely glanced down to Luna. "You've heard of the Fallen on the Reef, right? Variks, loyal to the Queen?"

_Vaguely. I've heard good things about him. It...bothers me, but if everyone trusts him, so do I._

"I've heard a thing or two about him, yes."

Dan slowed until he was at the rear of their group, moving for the edge of the plaza, voice low. "Variks isn't the only Fallen who isn't working against the City. A group here or there, only wanting to survive. We make sure to keep out of their hair, and they stay out of ours."

Luna felt her heart stop, mouth going dry. _Instinct. Fear._ It took a second to squash that sensation. Fallen had killed her, but she wouldn't let that hatred burn her. Not like fear and hatred did to... _Odin._

Hersh on the other hand, didn't squash his emotions. "Fallen? The only good Fallen, is a dead one."

He yanked his gun up and fired before either Odin or Dan could say otherwise. Nothing was hit, but they heard figures scattering in the direction he shot. Odin spun on his heel, and grabbed Hersh by the arm. "You idiot! Do you want to get killed?"

Fallen shimmered into existence all around them, guns or blades raised, and Luna blanched. _There's so many here. Caught off guard, could we take them?_

Odin once more stood in front of them all, arms held up to show that he had no weapons held in either hand, calling out in that strange tongue again. This time, she recognized it. _The language of the Fallen._ How many times had she heard words spoken in it, cursing her and her team? Now, it was being used to negotiate.

Dan made sure to keep close to them, though she had a feeling it was more to keep her safe, than to make sure Hersh didn't get himself killed.

His voice was a faint whisper. "He's apologizing for the gunfire; telling them Hersh was scared and-" "I wasn't scared!"

Odin's posture stiffened.

"Shut up kid, and let him keep going." That's when a louder voice rose from the group, and Luna watched a very familiar Kell walk from the group. _An old friend he said._

One by one, Fallen lowered their weapons, until none were brandished any longer, and before her eyes, Odin and the Kell both bowed to one another. That seemed to be the cue, because Dan ushered Hersh and her towards the edge, their ships rising to meet them due to their Ghosts. "Get in. He'll be right behind us."

One by one they entered their ships, and only when all three were off the plaza did Odin step away. A final sentence, from them both, and Odin jumped into his ship, leading them off towards their Tower in the distance.

Hersh's voice snapped over the comms. "What the hell was that about!" Odin's, far more cool, sighed. "Vikings guard Valhalla." Her mind snapped back to what felt like ages ago, in the Reef. _If that's his home, where is his heaven?_ **  
**


	25. Rookie Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude, in which Fireteam Kronyz gets a new member

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all! Firstly, I'd like to apologize for how short this chapter is, but it's necessary so I can pose this question; which shall I do first? After this, two squads will be showcased; the veterans, and the rookies. The next two chapters will be running parallel to one another, so you as the readers must be asked, which squad's chapter shall come first? Read, enjoy, and please think on it!

The arrival back to the Tower was done in silence; Hersh clearly had something to say about what went on, but Odin and Dan left before they were out of their ships, most likely off to tell the Vanguard about their crates of supplies. Luna got a message from them to wait in their apartment, they’d take a while to do their work.

“Come on Hersh, follow me.” They entered the apartment, and Luna listened to Hersh quietly whisper. “So this is where Dan lives.” He wandered slowly around, and Luna took a seat on the couch while he toured. At least the doors would be locked, she didn’t want him going through Dan’s room because he thought he was his biggest fan. By the time he came back to sit in one of the chairs, they heard the front door open. 

To her surprise, Matthew came in, and seeing his sister, threw himself at her to get a hug. “Luna!” Giggling, she popped off her helmet so she could pull him into a hug and not press his face to glass. “Hey Matty! How was work?”

They broke apart with Matthew sitting on the couch beside her. “It was fun! Miss Eva is teaching me how to sew; a lot of Guardians bring things to her that are damaged, like Marks, and Cloaks, and Robes, and she fixes all the tears and stuff in them.” “No wonder she’s always so busy then!” 

They shared a few giggles.  _ I’ve missed you Matty. I need to get a day off and spend time with him. _ “So are you off today?” 

Luna shook her head. “I have no idea. We just came back from the Wilds, now we’re waiting for Odin and Dan to come back.”

Just as she said that, the door opened again and in strolled Odin, and Dan. The latter was chuckling, thumbing behind him to the Hunter that followed them in. It was a woman the same height as her, and just as skinny; the difference, was that even without hearing her speak, she knew she had a bit of an attitude. 

Odin took a seat in a chair opposite Hersh, and leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees. “So here’s the deal. The three of you; Luna, Hersh, and Rayn. All of you are relatively new Guardians. Luna has been one for the better part of a year. Hersh, for a year. And Rayn, for a few months. The Vanguard has decided that you’ll be put under our tutelage for however long it takes for you to properly learn the ropes. Now, this isn’t saying that you haven’t already, but fighting Fallen and Hive here on Earth, are nothing like what’s coming this way. Luna has heard, but I doubt the two of you have.” 

A rtic hovered over the table, projecting an image of Crota. “You all recognize this creature, from stories and images shown by others, by the Vanguard. Crota was our worst nightmare. Eris and her Fireteam wounded him, and Fireteam Kronyz finished the job.” 

The image shimmered, changing to show a massive ship floating in the rings of Saturn. “His father, Oryx, has come to take revenge for the death of his son. As of six hours ago, with the destruction of the Awoken Fleet, the Vanguard have proclaimed us to be at War with the Hive-God Oryx. To make sure the Guardians are ready for what’s to come, any and all veterans are now training whoever the Vanguard assigns to them. That means as if this moment, Hersh and Rayn are members of Fireteam Kronyz.”

Dan took over from there, stepping up with his thumbs hooked in his belt. “Which means that we work together, and you listen to us when we tell you to do something. That includes not firing your gun at people we don’t deem enemies.” 

The Hunter, Rayn, put her fists on her hips much like Hersh had done, and snorted. “Right. So we’re supposed to just shut up and get in line for a pair of old relics?”

Odin sat up, tapping Artic. The image became a video, one that showed bits and pieces of their fight against Crota, including Odin delivering the blow that killed the once mighty creature. “No, you’re supposed to shut up and get in line for a pair of God killers.” To that, Rayn had no comment. “We don’t expect you to follow us blindly like machines; we expect you to give us the respect we deserve, and in turn we’ll do the same for you two, as we do for Luna here.”

She felt the eyes on her, from both Hersh and Rayn, but did her best to not show the blush she knew was attempting to rise to her cheeks at the fact that they respected her.  _ Not like I didn’t know, but it feels good to hear it! _

Dan tilted his head to the door. “So, in light of this news, we’ll be forcing you all to learn how to work together. The three of you will go out on a patrol, and when you return we’ll get to work on actually teaching you whatever we believe you need. Is that understood?” When they got nods all around, Odin hopped to his feet and had Artic reveal a map of Venus. “You’ll be going to Venus, to help pull another Fireteam out of the proverbial fire. They’re camped out on the Endless Steps, no ships, no Sparrows, but safe. Vanguard wants them to be moved back towards the abandoned Ishtar facilities a few miles before it. There, they can get new ships to them and pull them back to the Tower.”

Rayn cocked her hips to one side. “And what will you two be doing while we’re out in the field?”

This time, it was a map of Mars. “Off to the giant red ball for us. The Cabal have some intelligence on this Dreadnought that the Vanguard wants. If we’re lucky, we can use it to board the ship, and take out whatever weapon brought down the Awoken. Without it looming over us, we’ve got a shot at winning this War before it reaches us.” 

He turned to Matthew, and crouched so they were eye-to-eye. “We’re not going to be using this apartment for a bit, okay Matthew? It’ll just be you and Bianca for a couple of days; once the rookies here finish their mission, we’ll be dragging them all over the place. Keep an eye on her for us, alright?” 

Luna thought Matthew was going to burst at the seams from utter happiness; to him, he was being entrusted with helping his dream woman, and staying with her. He couldn’t be happier! “You can count on me Odin!”

“Good!” He ruffled Matthew’s hair, and rose to his full height. “Alright, you all know your mission. Get to Venus and do what you do best. When you’re done, contact us and we’ll figure out where to go from there.” 

The five of them moved for the door, planning to head to the Hangar as a group, where they would separate and go to their respective planets. Luna gazed at the backs of the veterans.  _ Why does it feel like I won’t be seeing them for a while. _

She was right.

 


	26. Rising Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rookie Squad makes it to Venus, and it becomes a much shorter trip than they imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all! Hope you enjoy this chapter; originally it was a larger chapter, with the events of this one and the next happening simultaneously, but I decided to break it up into two for something I'm doing down the line. Enjoy, and please comment!

Luna touched down on Venus with a faint gasp. She had never been to the planet herself, but stories she heard during trips to the Tower spoke of it being just as beautiful as Earth in its own way. The stories didn’t do it justice. Rayn landed next to her with her Hand Cannon at the ready. Either she had been here before, or she didn’t care for the view. Hersh was the same way. Though, Luna had a hunch that was because Dan wouldn’t be around to watch him show off. 

Their landing zone had been a site for the Ishtar Collective at some point; rusted buildings, platforms, and stairs lay in pieces around them, nature having reclaimed much of it. Over their Ghosts came Dan’s voice. “Luna’s in charge for the duration of this mission, and we’ll be in radio contact at all times. That means we’ll hear if you don’t listen to her.” 

Odin’s voice cut in. “For the rest of the day, her orders are our orders, and you won’t like what happens if you don’t listen to her.”

_ I’m in charge? I’ve never been a leader before. _

“Keep in constant contact; reports say that Oryx’s forces, the Taken, are appearing on all planets. We don’t expect for you to see them, but pull back if you do. They’re supposed to be tough.” Luna didn’t even have to look behind her to know that Rayn was annoyed by the order to pull back if they came across their enemies. 

On the other hand, she knew Hersh was already completely willing to obey here if only because Dan said she was in charge. Gunfire rang through the comms, and Dan spoke up. “We’ve got incoming Cabal. They’ve noticed the information is being accessed. I give it five minutes before they’re on us in number.” 

“We’ll be going silent on our end until you need us, good luck rookies.” When the Ghosts went silent, Luna instinctively had her own pull up a map of the area. “Okay, so the Endless Steps are just a hop, skip, and a jump from our location. The Fireteam we’re coming to get is camped at the base of the Steps, away from enemy patrols. If we can make it to them, we’ll escort them back to this position. Simple.” 

Hersh took the lead; as a Titan, he could take the abuse of something came out to attack long enough for the other two to fire back. 

_ This place is beautiful. The traveler has done wonders for the worlds.  _ The minutes passed in silence, the remains of machines in their path.  _ Vex. Machines of war that believe their logic is right. Odin’s journal made mention of them, and I’ve seen a handful of videos during my time helping the Vanguard. _

As they traveled through what clearly had been firefights, Luna started to feel uneasy about the mission; if there were no Vex along the path, why did the Fireteam simply not walk back? Did they not know it was safe? 

Rayn held up a hand. “There’s movement ahead. Thirty yards, just barely peeking around a tree.” 

The trio could see someone poking their head out. They couldn’t tell what it was, but the being pulled back and they heard what sounded like running in the direction of the Steps. Hersh rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “Must have been a Guardian, probably to inform their team that help has arrived. Let’s not leave them waiting!” 

He shot ahead, and Rayn let out a sigh that Luna felt in her own lungs. “A little gungho. Guess that’s Titans for you.” 

They shared a quiet chuckle between them, and while they hurried to catch up with Hersh, Luna called to Odin and Dan over their comms. “We’re almost to the rendezvous point. There’s been no opposition yet, but we saw what looked like a person up ahead. We’ll call back once the mission is over.”

Static burst over the comms, and Odin shouted loud enough for even Rayn to hear without her Ghost. “ _ NO! _ ”

They stumbled to a stop, Hersh within sight at the makeshift camp the Fireteam must have set up. “No?” 

Odin’s voice was patchy, coming through in pieces. “It’s a trap!” Luna glanced to Rayn. 

“Taken forc-” More static. “Ambushed us…..Cabal Base….” A chill ran down her spine moments before Hersh called out. “We’ve got dead Guardians here!”

Odin’s voice came out clearly this time, one final word before the line went dead. “ _ RUN!” _

All three of them bolted back the way they came as orbs began to appear around them. From the orbs exploded figures shrouded in darkness. They held the form of Vex, even Fallen, but Luna felt deep in her core that they were  _ wrong.  _

_ Dark.  _

_ Unnatural. _

A group of Taken were blocking their path; Hobgoblins, firing on them from a distance. She knew there were too many for Rayn, and they were too far away for Hersh, so Luna summoned her lightning in hand. Six bolts, one for each of the Hobgoblins in her path. It drained her, using her ability so quickly like that, but it did it’s job. The path was cleared and Hersh rushed ahead. Arc crackled around him to create a shield that blocked any damage coming his way, so that Luna and Rayn could follow in his wake without fear of being struck.

More orbs were already appearing when they made it to the camp they’d started in. Rayn’s Ghost appeared in front of them when they hunkered down. “I am unable to summon the ship; whatever these creatures are, they’ve enveloped us in a bubble of Darkness; we’re trapped!” 

Hersh peered over the piece of metal he was using  for cover, firing in controlled bursts to drop what looked like Fallen Vandals swathed in Darkness. “We’ll have to kill them all then.”

Rayn enveloped her arm in Solar, drawing her Hand Cannon. Unlike Odin, who was experienced, she could only fire off three shots that turned a handful of groups to ash. All around them they were being surrounded; orbs spawned more of the hellish abominations, forcing them to prioritize their attentions. Bullets, bolts of energy, even grenades, flew in all directions and from all directions. It was utter chaos. 

Raising her Ghost, Luna yelled; Odin and Dan had to hear them, they had to! “Odin, Dan, we’re pinned down! We can’t get to our ships and we’re being surrounded! We need help!”

Static was the only thing she heard back. 

Hurrying to switch channels, she tried broadcasting an emergency signal but got nothing back but static, just like before. “We’re on our own, I can’t raise anyone!” 

The trio worked together to hold back the tide, but they were struck every so often by the approaching horde; one that was pushed back by Hersh unleashing a hellstorm of Arc with his own ability, slamming both fists into the ground. Dozens were eradicated, but there were still more on the way.

Luna rose from cover, lightning in both of her hands. It would cost her to use her abilities like this, but she knew she had it better off than the other two. Lightning flew out as she floated off her feet. The attack was more akin to the storm that Tir wielded so well; it struck all around her but couldn’t kill them all. They knew what it was, it was a way to stave off the inevitable. 

A blast struck her and darkness took her in the next instance. Something about this felt so different than usual, like even in the darkness she was being smothered. It felt like forever before she felt Light being poured into her; one of the others was boosting her Ghost, reviving her back into the world. 

In the time she was gone, Hersh had been taken down just the same, and it was her turn to bring him back like Rayn had for her.  _ We’re going to die here. Away from Odin. Away from Dan. Away from Bianca. Away from Tir. Away from Jonathon. Away from Matty. _

_ Death comes for all, in the end. _

She rose up with Thorn in one hand and gathered lightning in the other.

_ Let me go out like a true _ Guardian.


	27. Falling Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Odin's trip to Mars goes wrong in the worst of ways, and we found out what happened to the Rookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all! It's time to see things from the Veterans' point of view during the dual trip. As always, enjoy! And please comment!

Dan and Odin touched down in ankle deep sand, already grumbling about how difficult it was to move around in it. Dan held his Ghost in the palm of his hand, transmitting the orders they both had thought of moments into their flight to Mars. 

“ Luna’s in charge for the duration of this mission, and we’ll be in radio contact at all times. That means we’ll hear if you don’t listen to her.” Odin leaned over his shoulder. “For the rest of the day, her orders are our orders, and you won’t like what happens if you don’t listen to her.” 

The two could already imagine the look Rayn would be giving them right now. Leaning back in, Odin checked his surroundings; they were only a dozen meters or so from a Cabal outpost, where they could get the information they were looking for. Taking over the comms instead of speaking over Dan’s shoulder while they moved, he cleared his throat. “Keep in constant contact; reports say that Oryx’s forces, the Taken, are appearing on all planets. We don’t expect for you to see them, but pull back if you do. They’re supposed to be tough.”

They shared a quiet chuckle; that certainly would get a grumble out of Rayn, maybe even Hersh. As Odin started to access the closest terminal, gunshots rang out from their rear. Dan sent a few rounds back at the approaching Cabal. “We’ve got incoming Cabal. They’ve noticed the information is being accessed. I give it five minutes before they’re on us in number.” 

Odin looked back to Artic. “We’ll be going silent on our end until you need us, good luck rookies.” Once the comms were shut down, Odin drew the Last Word and turned to stand at Dan’s side. The Cabal assaulting them fell beneath their bullets like chaff before the wind. 

Artic’s voice snapped them out of the fight. “The information is on the move; a Cabal Commander has the data on him and is moving through the city of Freehold.”

“Well, you know what that means. Get your ass moving Hunter.” Sparrows were summoned and off they went in a flash towards the remains of the once great city. They had been expecting to be in the middle of a Cabal forward operating base when they entered the outskirts of it, but what they found instead were bodies. Cabal soldiers, from Centurions to Psions, all dead and scattered around them. 

Dan pulled his sparrow up short as they scanned the carnage. “What the hell happened here? Was there another Fireteam coming through?” A few meters ahead of them appeared a massive orb of Darkness, one that Artic marked with the coordinates of the Commander they were looking for. They leapt from their Sparrows just in time to avoid being caught in the explosions resulting from their destruction. Dan ended up behind one building, Odin behind another, as they peeked out at the strange looking Centurion that was staring them down. 

“So, Odin, think that’s a Taken?”

“I’m willing to bet your Sparrow on it.” 

Artic hovered over his shoulder. “I’m picking up more of those orbs spawning around us; they’re  trapping you here with this creature.” 

Dan tilted his head so he could gaze at the dozens of orbs forming into existence. “It’s almost like they drew us here on purpose.”

“By my calculations, that’s entirely possible. They are at war with us, it’s likely they’re targeting any and all Guardians.” That got their attention. Especially when they heard Luna’s voice over the comms. “We’re almost to the rendezvous point. There’s been no opposition yet, but we saw what looked like a person up ahead. We’ll call back once the mission is over.” 

Their thoughts flashed to the dead Cabal around them and Odin yelled without thinking. “ _ NO! _ ” No response came through, but Odin continued on anyway. “It’s a trap! Taken forces are targeting us. They ambushed us at a Cabal Base, an outpost.” 

Hersh’s voice was heard wrapped in static; comms were patchy, he had to hope he was getting through to them. “We’ve got dead Guardians here!”

“ _ RUN! _ ” 

Artic hummed quietly. “The line went dead. I made sure to boost the signal enough for your last word to be heard.”

Dan’s gun creaked as his fingers tightened like a vice around it. “We might have just sent them to their death.” 

“Then let’s get out of here and help them. We fight our way back towards the landing zone and take off. I’ll take fat boy.” Solar blazed a trail down his arm, the Last Word empowered by his ability, and he fired off three shots straight to the Taken Commander’s head, watching him turn to ash. 

“We’ll have to head back on foot, so let’s move before anymore show up.” Odin nodded and turned to follow Dan back the way they came, but a horde of Phalanxes were waiting for them. Shields were planted in the sand, and some force blasted them over the nearby dune.

The duo rolled to the bottom of it and grimaced, with Dan motioning to the barely standing building nearby. “Inside, quick! We’ll do our best to lose them in here.” They rushed inside as more orbs appeared at their backs, dropping off a mixture of Goblins and Psions, who, to their horror, would begin to multiply! “Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I’m not seeing things, am I Dan?” 

“If you are, we’re apparently on the same drug trip. Come on!” The two booked it into the lobby of the building, sprinting up the closest flight of stairs; if they could lose their attackers in the building, they could hop out onto one of the taller dunes and head back towards their original landing zone. Worst case scenario, they’d call their ships in on the roof. Bolts flew past their heads, forcing them to turn and fire down the steps at some of the Psions closest to them. 

“Come on Dan, we’ll head across this floor!” The door was stuck, but Odin kicked it open and tossed a grenade into the stairwell; the resulting explosion caved in part of the wall, sand flooding it. “That’ll hold them for a few minutes at least.” That thought was dashed when orbs appeared in a circle around them. They were growing bigger with each breath they took, but voices over their comms drew their attention.

“Odin, Dan, we’re pinned down! We can’t get to our ships and we’re being surrounded! We need help!” Luna’s voice was filled with a fear that stopped both of them in their tracks. Both of them tried to raise her, worry filling their own voices, but they got nothing back; they could hear her, but she couldn’t hear them. Taken forces finally appeared from the orbs to the sound of cursing, and a hellstorm of fire.

Hammers and bullets flew in all directions, eradicating the threat like they were nothing. It drained them, yes, but they were veterans who knew their limits better than anyone, and they had plenty of energy to spare right now. Unfortunately, for every Taken they dropped, dozens replaced them. If this was what Luna’s Fireteam was going through...the thought only made them angry, and their fires brighter.  Within minutes, the entire floor was hell; fires burned across the room and ash left behind by their kills choked the air. 

Static popped in their ears, a familiar voice chuckling. “Look who I found! I’m on the way to Mars to meet up with you two old geezers, orders straight from Zavalla himself.” 

Odin practically screamed in Bianca’s ear. “No! Get to Venus, now! Luna and the others are pinned down and they need help!” 

“Whoa, whoa, calm down Odin. There’s three of them, on top of a whole ‘nother Fireteam. What-” 

Dan’s voice cut through her cheerful mood like a knife. “The second Fireteam is dead. Taken forces overwhelmed them, ambushed both our Fireteams. Get your ass to Venus before they die!” 

“What about you two, you need help too if that’s the case!” 

“No, we don’t! We’ll take care of ourselves, but they don’t deserve to die because we sent them to their doom! Get going Bianca, now!”

“Stay safe! I’ll see you soon!” When the line went down, they knew the Darkness was once again enveloping them. There’d be no ships coming, their own were unable to be summoned in the area thanks to the Darkness. Countless Taken were going to be dropped at their door any second now. 

The building creaked and groaned, so much stress being put on it that Dan looked up and sighed. “Well, sounds like the building won’t take much more of this. Time to go out with a bang, yeah?”

They clasped forearms, Solar overtaking their limbs. 

“If we fall, then we join the others on the other side. If we don’t, then so be it. Either way, I’m happy to fight by your side,  _ Titan. _ ”

“And I, by yours,  _ Hunter. _ ” 

The two split apart and brought a rain of fire down on their surroundings, each blast weakening the building even further. The Taken didn’t know what was going on even when the final blast brought the entire building down around them!

A few planets away, Luna found herself staring at the sight of Bianca with her hand extended to her. Just when all seemed lost, Bianca had dropped in with a Ward of Dawn to provide them cover, single-handedly turning back the tide with a salvo of rockets from her trusty Gjallarhorn. The Taken had retreated at the realization that more Guardians might join the fray by this point, and Luna couldn’t help but wrap her arms around the Titan. 

“Thank you!” Tears welled up in her eyes, hidden behind the helmet, but Bianca returned the hug. “Don’t thank me, thank the old geezers. They ordered me to come help you when I contacted them.” 

_ The others! _ With the Darkness gone, her comms should work now! She lifted her Ghost and opened a channel to them. Before she could speak, static burst and she heard them.

_ They must still be in the thick of it _ . 

“Well, sounds like the building won’t take much more of this. Time to go out with a bang, yeah?” 

They heard what sounded like Solar energy crackling. 

“If we fall, then we join the others on the other side. If we don’t, then so be it. Either way, I’m happy to fight by your side,  _ Titan. _ ” 

“And I, by yours,  _ Hunter. _ ” 

_ No, no, no, no, no! _ “Odin! Dan!” 

Fighting, explosions, yelling. She couldn’t tell what was happening, but there was the sound of something collapsing, and then there was silence. The silence created a feeling of nausea in her stomach so strong that her legs buckled. 

_ T _ _ hey’re gone. _


	28. Fireteam Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zavalla authorizes a search for Dan and Odin on a tight schedule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! My apologies for the shorter than short chapter this week, but the holidays took their toll on me. And, on that note, I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday of their own! As always, enjoy, and please comment!

What remained of Fireteam Kronyz stood side-by-side inside the Vanguard Hall, with the Vanguard looking around with solemn gazes; Cayde looked to the floor, Ikora out the windows, and Zavalla at his own hands.

“Guardians in the area saw the building fall. It was chalked up to Cabal being Cabal, but you say Dan and Odin were inside it?” 

Bianca nodded. “Not just inside it. They were the ones who brought it down in their fight against the Taken.”

“And you’ve had no contact with them since then?”

“No sir.”

Zavalla’s eyes looked back to his hands. “Dan and Odin are veterans, older than most Guardians in the field. We can spare you four to go searching for them, but it can’t be for too long; there’s still a war going on, one we need to win. If you can’t find them, or a trace of them, in a few hours from now, then we’ll need to call off the search and have faith that they’ve survived like they always do.”

Luna felt happiness burst in her chest; a few hours would be all they needed to find the pair of Guardians. 

Bianca bowed her head. “Thank you sir, we’ll move out immediately.” 

And that they did. Bianca and Luna led the way to the Hangar as fast as they could at a walking pace, with Bianca in the lead once their ships broke orbit. “Mars is a bit of a hell-hole, so stick close and try not to let the Cabal spot you. They’re notorious for shooting down ships.” 

_ Is that why they haven’t returned? Too deep behind enemy lines, and can’t summon them? _

They landed in the same zone the two had started in, staring out at the corpses of the Cabal who assaulted them. Rayn let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. “That’s a lot of Cabal to take on with two people.” 

Bianca held out her Ghost so she could summon her Sparrow. “They’re veterans, this many Cabal are nothing to them.”

Once everyone were on their Sparrows, Bianca led them down the path towards the city of Freehold, speeding as if the Devil itself was behind her.  _ She’s more worried than she’s let on. But, aren’t we all? This is our Fireteam, our Family, that we’ve lost. _ They deftly avoided more corpses, and came up to the ruins of the building; it was clearly the one they were looking for, as it was still smoldering from the amount of Solar energy that had been used in the fight. 

“I doubt they’re actually inside the building, but I’ll take a look. You three search around, see if there’s any clues to where they might have gone. Assume their Sparrows are busted, and maybe even their ships if they haven’t left the planet yet.” 

Luna watched Bianca start shifting through the rubble, to get into what was left of the building.  _ She picked the hardest task for herself. If they are still in there, it’ll be their corpses. _

Hersh went for the other side of the ruins, while Rayn moved back towards the Cabal’s corpses.Luna took it upon herself to investigate the building as well, in a section apart from Bianca’s. It felt like ages passed, with the sun beating down on her, before a sharp whistle caught their attention. Hersh stood on the dune above them, waving to get them to climb up towards him. “Found something!” 

On the other side of the dune was another field of corpses; these belonged to Vex, and just like the building, they were a smoldering pile. Parts were scattered across the sand, with something within them catching Luna’s eye. 

Bianca came over just as she hefted it for all to see; Ace of Spades, Odin’s second Hand Cannon. Bianca flinched at the sight of it, but Luna managed to hold her own in. 

_ It doesn’t mean anything. He still has the Last Word; he wouldn’t let it go unless he died, and if it’s not here then he’s still safe. _ Bianca seemed to reach the same conclusion about the same time, because she pointed towards the trail the Vex parts were in. “They must be on the move; follow the machines, and we’ll find our old geezers.”

They brought out their Sparrows a second time, gunning it across the sand. Carefully navigating between the dunes, they noticed that the further they went, the less corpses they found, until they just suddenly stopped, even though there were still areas left covered in flames, or turned to glass even.

_ Taken forces started appearing again, perhaps drawn by the sounds of combat? _

Bianca came to a stop and threw her arm out. They followed it to see a plume of smoke rising from over the next dune.  _ A fire big enough to make that HAS to be the two of them! _

To their dismay, it wasn’t the two Guardians. It  _ was _ , however, Dan’s ship! It looked to have been shot down by something; Cabal, Vex, Taken, it didn’t matter what exactly, but they knew that this meant the two of them must still be on the run if they couldn’t get off-planet just yet. 

“We’re close enough, let’s hope this works.” Bianca’s Ghost hovered in front of them and she opened a broadcast channel. “Dan, Odin, this is Bianca. If you’re out there, please respond.” Seconds passed by in silence, until she tried again. “Dan, Odin, this is Bianca. If you’re out there, please respond!” Another brief span of silence. 

A hand came up to rest on her arm, Rayn shaking her head. “There’s no way of knowing if they can even hear us. We can’t keep chasing them around without leads. There’s not even footprints to track thanks to the wind.” 

Hersh chimed in too, a bit hesitant to leave behind Dan. “We’d have to scour the whole planet. We don’t have time for that ma’am.” 

As if reinforcing their words, Zavalla’s voice came over the comms. “Fireteam Kronyz, we need to pull you from Mars. A transmat zone has been established on the Dreadnaught orbiting Saturn, and we need all the Guardians we can muster to help create a beachhead.” 

_ We have to go. _ Luna answered for them, knowing Bianca wasn’t capable of keeping her emotions out of her voice. She wasn’t any better, but she managed to keep hers neutral. 

“Yes sir, we’re on our way.”


	29. Truth and Shame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna steps onto the Dreadnaught, and is given a far more important task back on Earth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all! Hope you can all enjoy this new chapter, and as always, please comment!

Fireteam Kronyz, the remaining four members of it, flew their ships towards the looming Dreadnaught floating in the rings of Saturn; debris had to be navigated around, but that was a route simple enough for their Ghosts to plot. Their landing zone was a hellhole; dozens of other Guardians had been ordered to land just inside the Dreadnaught, where a Cabal ship had apparently rammed it, and firefights sprung up all over the place. The group touched down where a group of Warlocks set up a makeshift medical area for heavily wounded Guardians, and Bianca immediately stepped over to join them.

"Fill in the gaps where they're needed; this many Guardians around, it shouldn't take long to secure this part of the ship." Off the trio went at Bianca's words, walking down the slope towards the largest of the firefights. The Cabal ship was nestled inside a wall, and with the door to it opened it poured out troops at a near constant rate.

_How many Cabal can fit on one ship?_

Taking up position, they found a familiar pair of Guardians; Liam and Aura, sitting behind cover reloading their respective weapons. Aura gave a nod, Liam cradling his weapon to his chest. "Where's the other two? Figured they'd be here in the thick of it with us."

In the silence that followed, Luna had nothing to say. _How do you tell someone that their friend is probably dead?_

That thought was followed by one that nearly made her vomit in her own helmet.

_Someone has to inform Tir._

To her surprise, Rayn spoke up for her. "They're on Mars, doing whatever." Aura handed off a Sniper Rifle for her, and the two rose enough to set the barrels on their cover, firing a few rounds at the Cabal. "Well let's hope they come back soon. We've been going at this fight for a few hours now. It's like they've got a limitless supply of Cabal on demand here. We've even had a few Goliath tanks roll out."

As if summoned by her words, one such behemoth came from the doors of the ship.

"I got this." Muttered Liam, who rose with the power of the Void forming in his hands. The Exo Warlock jumped into the air and launched the small orb across the field of battle, where it slammed into the tank with enough power to send it careening into the wall of its very own ship.

Liam's feet touched the floor by the time it was done exploding.

_The power of the Void; the journal talks about Voidwalkers, Defenders, and Nightstalkers, who were often feared because the Void supposedly whispered in their ears like it was its own entity. Its power can not be denied._

If the Cabal were phased by the fact another tank of theirs blew up, they didn't show it. Instead, they continued fighting Guardians on one side, and Hive on the other. Thorn was swapped for her Scout Rifle, so she could fire out at the Cabal. Hersh moved forward a bit, twenty or so yards, so his Auto Rifle could accurately hit at range. The next few Cabal that fell under their onslaught weren't replaced immediately, perhaps because so many had died already, but the idea was bashed when a Colossus stepped out with his chaingun at the ready.

At the same time, between them and it formed an Ogre! All at once, Fireteam Kronyz used their abilities; Rayn was first so that she could wound both of them with a shot from her Golden Gun. Hersh broke cover and let Arc surge around his body. His target was the Ogre, the closest of the two, while Luna pulled back her arm. Each bolt she threw was aimed true; the Colossus stumbled under the hits, and his body fell beneath the lightning as Hersh slammed both fists at the Ogre's feet.

They fell simultaneously, failed champions for both sides. The enemy forces pulled back to lick their wounds, so Guardians began reporting in to the Vanguard about their movements. To the surprise of Luna, Cayde's voice whispered through her Comms.

"Luna? Got a special job for you." _What could the Hunter Vanguard have for me?_

"Odin is missing, presumed dead even if Zavala won't admit it, so that news needs to be passed on. Since you're the only one who could go without getting shot down, I'd appreciate it if you could send the news on to Tir."

_Oh shit._ "Could I just stay here with the things that want to kill me?" _Oh God I said that out loud._

Cayde sounded like he was holding in laughter so the other two didn't hear him. "Don't worry so much about it. She has a right to know, and we can't raise her. You've got the go ahead to fly out there, so long as you return to the Dreadnaught after."

"Yes sir."

 Hersh and Rayn came up to her, waiting for Bianca to join them. It didn't take but a few moments to tell Bianca what Cayde had asked of her.

"He has a point. Take Rayn and Hersh with you. She'll be less likely to kill you if there's witnesses. Or she might just kill you all. Kind of hard to say. No matter what, tell her and hurry back. I doubt the Cabal will be gone long, and the Hive aren't one for letting unwanted visitors stay."

Hersh and Rayn followed behind Luna's ship as she flew back to Earth, further outside the limits of the Cosmodrome than either had ever been before. "Stick close to my ship." The words brought back the memory of her first trip here, an unwanted feeling of sadness filling her chest. She landed in the room with the two right on her heels, causing Tir to look up from her book.

"Why are there two new idiots in my house?"

Thankfully they stayed quiet. Mostly because they knew Luna was gathering her thoughts. "Tir, something happened to Odin."

With a sigh, she shook her head. "Who'd the dumbass piss off now?" 

"He and Dan went to Mars to get intelligence from the Cabal, and the Taken ambushed them. The two are missing, presumed to be...dead."

There was a heartbeat of complete silence, but Tir shook her head. "Great, so I actually have to go help the idiot. Lovely." She rose from her chair and strode over to the window.

_Wait, help?_

Hersh lifted a hand to stop her. "Whoa, what are you talking about? We've already searched for them, the Vanguard says we can't waste more Guardians searching for them-"

Tir turned so sharply on them that Luna had to step back as she grabbed Hersh by one of his pauldrons and drug him to the window. One little push was all it would take. "I've been at their sides since the very beginning. Since the first time we formed a Fireteam; you talk to me like you know they're dead, or that you think they're not good enough to have survived an attack from bumbling chucklefucks wrapped in Darkness, I will drop you head-first from this building. I'm going to Mars, and getting the two idiots. You can come, or go scurrying back to the Vanguard."

"But-"

 She dropped him right out the window before he could speak any further! _Should have seen that coming._ Hersh could be heard activating his jetpack off in the distance to land safely, probably cursing Tir in the process. "Coming, Luna?" _Damn right I am!_ "Yes ma'am!"

_We're coming guys!_ **  
**


	30. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tir leads a small hunt across the dunes of Mars for Dan and Odin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone! Hope you enjoy the new chapter, and as always please comment!

Tir led the trio of rookies back to the red planet, touching down at the location of Dan's still burning ship. All it took was one look at the wreck and she pointed to the West. "They went that way." Instantly on the move, Luna barely managed to keep up with the pace of her mentor's longer legs. "How do you know?"

A finger pointed up to the smoke, giving them a moment to see the wind blowing it in the direction they were moving every few breaths. "Move with the smoke, make yourself less visible. One of the tricks a _Hunter_ should know."

Rayn's head jerked towards her with an air of irritation. "You trying to say something?"

"That you're an idiot, and your so called mentor is nearly as much of an idiot for not teaching you."

"Why don't we use Sparrows, it'd make things-"

"Because, Hersh, if you're speeding along on a Sparrow, you'll miss when they branch off. They're not going to head straight for a dozen miles; they'll follow the smoke, then move and cover their tracks so they can't be tailed."

They moved in silence across the sand, following a trail that only Tir seemed capable of tracking. Dark clouds formed ahead of them, a sign of Vex appearing! Tir brought her shotgun into her hands and blew away the handful of Goblins, and one Hobgoblin, that made the attempt to stop her in her tracks.

_A woman on a mission. To find what, her lover, or her friend?_ Luna still had no idea what the relationship between the two were. Even the journal of Odin's that she had in her possession, not yet fully read, stated nothing of the two. ****  
** **

She lost herself in her memory of the journal, of what Odin had written of the planet they stood on.

_A giant ball of dust, the giant ball of dust where Dan was found all those years ago, and the Traveler before him. A place of war, thanks to the Cabal and their machines, their weapons, and the Vex that fight with them at all times, IN all times. Two warring factions with Guardians forced to take the fight to them both, keeping them both down since it's impossible to take them out completely. Cabal, numerous and always bringing in more reinforcements. Vex, creating new warriors, even pulling Vex from the past or future to help them if it means that they can win._

Tir's voice pulled him from the thought. "Now we change directions, head North." "But, why North?" Tir looked over her shoulder to Luna, already in the process of changing directions. "Because, South would be back towards Freehold, and the Cabal are on alert back there. North is the Vex, who will be monitoring the South because of the movements the Cabal are making."

_That makes a lot of sense_.

Rayn stared a hole into Tir's back the entire time they traveled over the dunes, finally speaking up after an hour had passed. "So how do you know these two are even alive? Even Bianca gave up, and she's part of their Fireteam; you just sit in a tower all day, far away from them." ****  
** **

Tir laughed, the air crackling with lightning. "Bianca gave up because she was told to, because she's obedient. I've been with the two since before Fireteam Kronyz was originally created. I was there at the start of it, when we took three others into our fold.

_The original team. That Odin spoke of during the Festival._

"And what happened to them, they abandon you?"

"We lost them. We fought with the Iron Lords, and the four Orders of Titans, to defend the City from its first real attack. And in the end, the three of us were all to survive from the Fireteam." She switched directions but didn't stop talking, nor did they do anything but switch directions obediently, so focused on her words were they.

"For a long time it was just the three of us, surviving in whatever ways we could. I've watched that idiot fall into Darkness and fight his way back tooth and nail to our sides; Dan too. They're survivors, just like I am. So, when I say they're still alive, _I mean they'e still alive."_

One hand pointed ahead, to the ruins of an old ship. It looked to be nearly as old as the planes in the Mothyard, and as large as some of the buildings in Freehold. "Just far enough away from both sides, right in the middle of no man's land."

They moved towards it and Luna's heart skipped a beat at a familiar sight; a blast mark in the opening of the ship. _Odin's tripwire. He trapped the opening, in case something got in._ They were closer! Tir took the lead as always when they stepped inside the ship. The hallway they entered was barren; empty but marked with bullet holes and scorch marks. A fight had gone on here, but if there were no bodies then they knew what that meant.

_More Taken, yet again._ Tir had been briefed on the Taken and what they were capable of on the way to Mars, so that it wouldn't catch her by surprise, but she'd given her own surprise to them when she spoke of Toland the Shattered, and the theories he had preached involving the Hive. **  
**

It wasn't long until they reached the end of the hall, and Tir nearly had her head blown off! Another tripwire had been set up, at eye level, which she hadn't noticed until the last second. Pushing backwards, she let it detonate harmlessly against the wall next to her. It was, however, followed by the sound of a gun being cocked. Tir shook her head.

"Hey, chucklefucks! Your rescue has arrived!" Luna thought she was going to collapse with relief at the sound of Dan responding. "Tir? Shit, we're in some deep trouble now huh?"

"Nope, just the dumbass."

There was a silence that Luna didn't like, even more so when even Tir paused. "Dan?"

"Come on, there's no more traps."

Tir went first, with Luna behind her, and came out into the room. Sitting on the floor was Dan, helmet off, and beside him on the ground was Odin! Instinct screamed for her to go to him, but she felt a wave of... _something_ wash over her when Tir knelt first, one hand on his chest. "He's alive?" 

Artic hovered over his head, but Dan answered ahead of her. "He is. The Taken hounded us the entire way here; he knew if I went down he'd never drag my ass out of the battle, but I could carry him if need be. So, he blazed the whole time." He drew their attention to two Hand Cannons, lying nearby. The Last Word had its barrel warped during the attack on the City, but even that looked like a normal gun compared to the two at their feet.

"Used some spares, since we both knew it'd shatter the Last Word to go for so long, and he lost Ace of Spades back there." Luna brought it into her hands to show him, and he chuckled. "Good. Thank you."

Their gazes went back to Odin.

"It drained him. He set a few mines up, and held together long enough to fight off the first wave. I took over after that." Tir helped lift him up, his arm around her shoulder. Hersh did the same for Dan, who holstered his Hand Cannon. "The last few minutes before he passed out, he was apparently hearing voices of the Hive; the Taken were so close, apparently Oryx was speaking with him. Telling him that he would never be allowed to rest. If so, I wouldn't recommend taking him to the Tower."

It took a second for Tir to respond, a second that took an eternity for Luna. "I'll take him to my home. Less collateral. Luna, go with Dan back to the Tower so he can get checked on by Bianca, and inform the Vanguard that Fireteam Kronyz is okay."

_But I want to go with him._ "Yes ma'am."

Dan grunted as Hersh helped him move towards the hallway. "I'll meet you there once I'm cleared. Keep an eye on him for us." Luna looked back as she followed Dan out of the ship, watching Tir stand up straight with Odin leaning against her.

_What are they._ **  
**


	31. The Homefront

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Tir wait for Odin to reawaken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings all, hope you enjoy the new chapter, and as always please comment!

The Vanguard heard Dan's story, and immediately told him to rest; he and Odin were veterans as old as them, or older if what Luna had heard was true, and they deserved some time off from being attacked. While they seemed uneasy with the thought of Odin being at Tir's, rather than in the safety of the Tower and the number of Guardians able to come at a moment's notice, they agreed in the end that it was the safest option available.

The moment Luna was released from the meeting, she was on the way to the hangar. Dan had informed her he would get checked on by Bianca, then follow after. The words had barely processed in her mind;  _have to make sure he's okay._

The trip felt like it took forever even at full-speed, but once the building came into sight she made sure to slow down. No reason to make Tir think something was coming to attack them. Her feet touched down to find Tir, as always, in her typical seat.  _Why isn't she with him?_   "Where's Odin?" Tir motioned behind her with the hand that wasn't holding up the book in her lap. "Next room over, fast asleep. He hasn't moved since he got here. Having your Light drained can do that to you, make you act a bit corpsey."

_It's truly that bad?_

Not realizing her feet were in motion, she moved for the door and was at the bedside before she knew it. Odin  _did_ look like a corpse. His helmet had been removed and his hands were clasped together on his stomach, body so still that for a moment it looked like he was being prepared for a funeral. The only thing that told her he was still alive, aside from Artic floating constantly around his head, was the smallest movement from his chest, rising and falling.

"Will he be okay?"

Artic stopped the pacing she seemed to be doing in the air around his head so she could look towards Luna. "It has been a long time since Odin has been this drained. Even the battles to protect the City weren't as taxing on his Light as this was. A few hours straight, using his powers, was costly. It went against my wishes but it was necessary to keep them both alive."

A glance down to his hands made Artic shake side to side. "He's okay. It wasn't fueled by his emotions, it didn't lash out as much as it did at Twilight Gap."

_That's good. He doesn't need to suffer more._

She didn't know how long she stood there at the bedside, but eventually she returned to the main room and prepared to take her usual seat, and read, just as her mentor was doing. A chill went down her spine like a warning sign, one that told her to turn around. Barely a foot from Tir, was a Taken Vandal! It stared them down for a moment as if confused, but Tir leaped from the chair and punched it square in the mouth!

As it vanished, a ghostly outline appeared in the air before them. It was the head of some creature, reminiscent of Crota.  _"You will surrender the murderer that you are housing, or I will kill all who stand between him and I."_

_This is Oryx?_

"You want the chucklefuck? Come get him yourself."

_"Then you will die with him."_

Orbs spawned in the room, sending the two Warlocks into cover just as bolts flew at them. The Invective appeared in Tir's hands, and Thorn in Luna's, so they could trade fire with the multitude of Vandals, Goblins, and Thralls that dropped from the orbs. "Trust the idiot to bring trouble all the way out here!"  _Why do you insult him so much?!_ "Not like he means to do it Tir!" A Thrall came too close and earned buckshot to the face. "Well he needs to try a little harder to not do it regardless! I'm tired of cleaning up his messes!"

Luna went to toss a grenade but had to stop herself as a thought crossed her mind.  _There's untold amounts of knowledge here, we can't use explosives. Tir can't use her lightning either!_

Hers, on the other hand, would be able to be used, but the biggest problem was that she didn't know how long she could use it, and the Taken had proven to be tenacious creatures of war. Taking a chance, she summoned her strength and rose up to sling a few dozen bolts at the wave of Taken, watching a portion of them fall to her lightning, but as always there was so many more still left alive.

"Tir, can't you summon lightning in here, maybe weaken it enough to keep it concentrated on them?"

The increase in gunfire forced Tir to duck back behind cover. "Unless you can replace every single book that I'd hit in the process, then no! It's priceless knowledge on those shelves, and I'm not losing them to a bunch of reject minions!" They pushed back the remaining Taken that were left, knowing that in a few seconds they'd be back; and they were right. The orbs soaked up any bullets that came at them, and spat out Taken soldiers to continue the fight. "We are heavily outnumbered Tir, we need to get Odin out of here!"

Her head snapped up towards Luna, and she laughed loud enough to drawn out the gunfire. "I'm not abandoning my home for anything, and especially not for idiots who think they can barge in and try to kill me!" Turning herself around so she was sitting, facing the door to Odin, she tossed a grenade into the closest cluster, the lightning burning only the Taken, as there were so many it couldn't shoot out but so far. "You want him? Fine, you can have him!"

Luna's heart froze.  _Wait, what?!_

A sharp whistle pierced the air. " _Get your mangy ass up, and do your job Guard Dog!"_

Barely a heartbeat passed and the door was kicked open. A slew of bullets met the Taken; the Last Word, being fired at inhuman speeds and reloading just as quickly. As Odin made it to their sides, his hand came down and snatched Ace of Spades from her side where she'd been keeping it, both Hand Cannons firing now. With the increase in firepower, they managed to push the Taken even further back and even eradicate the orbs!

_We're really doing it!_

Oryx's reappearance dashed that thought, for a moment.

_"You, Kin-Slayer! I will have your head!"_

Odin raised the Last Word with a barking laugh. "Yeah? Well don't worry, I'm coming straight to you. I'm going to do to you the same thing I did to your precious son; put a blade right between those stupid eyes of yours. That Dreadnaught won't keep you safe any longer, and your conquest ends here."

A blaze of Solar rushed down his arm and into the Last Word. Lifting it into the air, Odin cocked the hammer and pointed it to the image hanging in the air. "We'll beat your forces off the planets, and bring the fight right to your doorstep, until there's nothing left but your corpse to stick on a pike!"

_Odin is changing. I haven't seen the calm side of him in so long, it's always so much anger._

_"You will kill me? My son may have fallen to you, but I am no child. I have power unimaginable by your weak mind, and I-"_

The Last Word fired a shot that went out the window, Solar energy dispersing the image before their eyes. "You'll die just the same asshole." Glancing over to them, he gave a thumbs up just as he dropped to his knees, already asleep again by the time Luna caught him.

_He woke long enough to help Tir, because she yelled for help._

Not for the first time, nor the last, she questioned what they were. Only this time, it came with a pain in her heart. 

 


	32. Return to the Past: Six Fronts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna reads more of Odin's journal, and discovers the fate of the original Fireteam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, there isn't a ton of information about what went on in the past, but you never know when they might add to it. Until then, let's hop you enjoy this new chapter!

The Taken had retreated, and hours later there were no signs of them returning. Odin had returned to the deep sleep he'd arrived in moments before Dan and Bianca came in their ships, with Hersh and Rayn right behind them. Tir wasn't happy to have so many guests, but she let them stay so long as they agreed not to be sleeping in her home. Dan and Bianca took turns sitting with him to keep an eye on his progress, Bianca more often than Dan as she had been trained with Warlocks on medical practices with Light.

Rayn kept herself busy with her eyes out the window to watch for any possible Taken or Fallen moving on the building. Hersh on the other hand did anything that Dan did, much to the latter's disapproval. Tir did as she always did, and Luna finally followed suit. The last few pages of the journal had been a mixture of things; something she noticed was that there was no timeline to it, the entries were randomized as if he wrote only as he remembered them or they came to mind. The page she came to next though, chilled her to the core.

_Six Fronts. The battle that cost them their team._

It was chaos; the newly erected walls of the City were getting their first taste of battle, and it was less of a battle and more of a war. There were six fronts for them to hold down, protected by the four Orders of Titans that had been gathered by the handful of leaders; Saladin, Radegast, even Zavala and Shaxx were here under the command of Saladin. Fireteam Kronyz was put together under Radegast's eyes, to help fight off the waves of enemies rushing the walls.

Odin the Hunter, Dan the Titan, Tir the Warlock, _survivors_.

Syryuna the Warlock, Maeri the Titan, and Kryo the Hunter, _the fallen._

Together they were a force to be reckoned with as they helped Radegast's Titans to push back the Fallen that rushed them. Servitors helped bring the troops forward, enveloping them in a shield that kept the damage from reaching them. They were the enemies targeted first by the Guardians; no shields, meant the foot soldiers could be dropped and the worst targets could be focused on. For example, the Prime Servitor that could be seen. It floated around the walls; they heard reports of it going between the fronts. Most likely to stir them into a frenzy. What better way to improve morale than to see your so-called god on the battlefield with you.

They had the majority of the Guardians on the walls, but a force fought on the ground where they could do the most damage; up close and personal. That was where Fireteam Kronyz stood. Wards of Dawn were erected to give them some kind of protection, cover, under the enemy's attacks. Odin took cover behind the remains of a trio of Servitors, with Kryo at his side. The two were cradling Sniper Rifles to their chests, peeking over the wreckage to take aim.

"So this'll make number three hundred and six for me Kryo, what about you?"

Kryo, who pulled his hood up a little higher, laughed. "I'm three behind ya buddy, might wanna hurry or I'll pass you!"

Their Rifles fired simultaneously, the sound echoing in the air around their heads. It was heard by Dan and Maeri, who were acting as a tag team; Dan would sling his hammers out at the approaching force, while Maeri dropped a Ward whenever he stopped throwing, giving him the break he needed to recharge with him. Nearby, Tir and Syryuna were atop a Fallen Walker they had brought down. Syryuna would channel Void into her hands and fire a beam of energy at the army, Void-fire leaving a trail of carnage behind, and Tir would follow it with lightning strikes to decimate their ruined forces.

As always, it looked to be an assured victory, even in the face of so many enemies.

_And as always, they were wrong_

It was chaos, through and through. Skiffs and Walkers alike began to rain fire on them in such number that Fireteam Kronyz, and all others on the ground, were forced to take cover in Wards. Maeri dropped one of his own for them and almost immediately they knew it wouldn't hold. This firepower was meant to bring down the walls they were defending. The shields wouldn't hold.

And they didn't.

Maeri roared at them to move, to get out, but it was already too late. The shield splintered and they were blown away.

When they rose from where they fell, they found Maeri missing the lower half of his body and his Ghost in ruins.  _The Defender breaks._

They barely had time to react before the next volley rained down on them, and this time there was no shield to cover them. Orders were called out to retreat back into the wall to let them regroup, but they couldn't make it through. All around them fell Guardians in handfuls, but it only made them want the blood of the Fallen. Pushing forward, Syryuna did her best to use her powers to provide them cover, as did Tir with the lightning directed at the skiffs.

It was useless.

A Walker fired a blast straight into Syryuna; there wasn't even anything left of her or her Ghost afterwards.  _The Voidwalker succumbs_

Finally the Fallen began to pull back all around them, and Radegast himself came down from the wall to lead the assault, but the Prime Servitor took the opportunity to fire at him. Unfortunately for Fireteam Kronyz, they were in the way. a stray shot nearly struck Odin, but Kryo shouldered him aside.

His body fell without its head, and Ghost, which had been taking refuge in his hood.  _The Blade Dancer falls_

The rage built within them, the fear, the loss.

Radegast led them, and many others with fallen comrades, in a campaign that took back five miles. 

_F_ _ive miles of burning ground and corpses turned to ash because of a thirst for blood._

Luna closed the book and sucked in a breath. _So little wrote. He couldn't bring himself to go into detail, could he?_

From the next room over, Dan walked out and chuckled. "Zavalla called. He said he wanted us to make sure we could fight at full strength again. Odin and I are to go into a Crucible match. Rumble, as always, to see how well we handle ourselves after such heavy fighting. Pack it up people, you're in for a show!"

_The fight of the century_  


	33. Old School Rumble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Odin get thrown into a Rumble match under orders from the Vanguard, and Shaxx has a blast with it as he unveils a new arena for them

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, here it comes! A fated match with two old grandpas! Well, and four others but who cares about them! Hope all of you enjoy, and as always please comment!

Shaxx had a surprise for the pair of veterans; he and a team of Redjacks had taken an area in the Cosmodrome, Site 618, and cleared it to be used in the Crucible. That would be the arena for their Rumble match. Them and four others, random Guardians consisting of a Titan, a Hunter, and two Warlocks- _t_ _hey liked even numbers across the board_ -would be going into battle against them as well. It'll be quite the sight according to the Vanguard. Luna and Bianca had already found seats in the theater with it packed to the absolute brim.

_It wasn't often more than one veteran stepped into the Crucible._

Shaxx had even set up a special reward for the winner; a weapon of choice from his own personal armory. Something like that had the four others in a frenzy, and even Dan and Odin had to admit that it was a promising reward. Not often did Shaxx relinquish things from that tightly sealed armory of his. Matthew sat next to Luna with a grin on his face that matched the people around them.

_This was going to be fun_

At a thought, as the match begun, Luna turned to Bianca. "Who do you think is going to win?"

"I have no idea. I've seen them both fight; in the right conditions, either one of them could be victorious." Her hands came up to fix her ponytail while she continued talking. "If they're in close quarters constantly, it's a tough one but Dan would probably win. He favors shotguns, and while at close range the Last Word destroys Guardians, it only takes one good shot from a shotgun to blow your head off. If there's no cover, Odin's an automatic winner with his ability to pick them off at range. And if their abilities come into play, it's anyone's game. Then it'd really be a matter of who used it first, and if the other took them out with theirs."

Their attention went to the match as Shaxx started to yell out "First Blood!" but was quickly fumbling for words over what left the viewers in awe; Dan and Odin had both rushed through this new arena, one with a Shotgun at the ready, the other with a Hand Cannon, and taken out everyone else! A Warlock had been dropped close to them both, simultaneously dropping them to find the other Hunter and Titan respectively, who were also taken out, and now the two were having a shootout in the middle of the arena!

They were practically dancing around one another with the way they fought. Odin would have to jump from cover to cover to avoid the shotgun blasts that threatened to take him apart, while Dan did the same to make sure not even a single round from the Last Word reached him.

_Titans of War, Hunters of the Wilds, what is better?_

A tripmine went flying over the piece of cover that Dan was taking refuge behind. The blast drove him from behind it and into the arms of Odin, who had rushed forward and plunged a knife through his head. With that, he gained the lead.

Odin's voice came over the comms, for all to hear. "Come on  _Titan_ , that the best you've got?"

Dan's voice came right back at him. "Oh, you haven't seen anything yet,  _Hunter_."

The two held a single-minded determination that Luna had never seen before, but Shaxx was left in the dust, too excited to continue his usual commentary, but he would go back and forth between Dan and Odin, yelling his personal opinions.

_Each time Odin was felled by Dan._ "That's it, show them how Titans do things!"

_Each time Dan was felled by Odin._ "I could use a Hunter like you in the Redjacks!"

The other Guardians were cannon fodder to the two veteran Guardians; any of them got in the way of one of the two of them, they were blasted away like dust in the wind.

Fist to knife, Shotgun to Hand Cannon, it was a race neck and neck to be the winner. One that kept going even when abilities began to activate. One of the Warlocks was the first to do it, but Dan's Hammer flew from out of nowhere, slamming into their chest. At the same time, a round from a Golden Gun pierced the chest of the Hunter, a second round taking out the other Warlock. The Titan was a bit more difficult to take down, but a volley of Hammers solved that problem.

It was down to the last two fighters; Dan, and Odin.

A chill ran down Luna's spine as it brought back memories of the first Crucible match she had viewed. 

_But will Odin win again? Or will Dan take that?_

Both of them holstered their weapons and launched at each other like animals. Dan managed to catch him around the waist, slamming him into the closest slab of metal. Odin barely dodged the punch that dented the very same metal his back had been pressed to. His foot connected with the bottom of Dan's helmet, sending him reeling backwards.

It gives him only enough time to give himself some room before Dan tried to slug him. He brushed the fist aside and tried to deliver his own, but it was caught under his arm and he was slung aside with ease. Rolling once he landed, Odin hopped to his feet and threw his knife at the same time that Dan dropped a grenade. The grenade detonated, sending waves of fire that scorched him while the knife embedded itself in Dan's shoulder. The two were vulnerable; any of the other four could have stepped in and taken the kill.

_But they didn't. They knew what this was. A test. A rivalry between friends._

Squaring up one last time, with aching legs and an aching shoulder, they came at each for one final tussle. All held their breath, even the always boisterous Shaxx. Punches, kicks, the two went at it in their own personal world of combat, slinging one another around or in a few cases being picked up and slammed, in the case of Dan catching Odin by the leg and swinging him into a chunk of concrete.

With a final push, the two gave in and drew their weapons.

Hand Cannon versus Shotgun.

Hunter versus Titan.

A buzzer rang out just before their weapons could fire, with Shaxx roaring out. "Match Over!"

_Final score? A bloody tie!_

Everyone was in an uproar; Cayde was cursing about the loss of Glimmer, Zavala was stunned into silence after a round of huffing and complaining, and Ikora was on her feet practically dancing as she yelled things down at the two of them, giving them pointers now that the battle was done.

Bianca nudged her with an elbow and smiled. "See Luna? You never can tell who's going to come out on top in the end. This time, it looks like they couldn't manage it. But next time? Heh, they'll probably be going for each other's throats."

_That wasn't going for their throats? I can't wait to see it!_

 


	34. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Rookies swap stories while they wait for the Veterans to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the length, but it's because we're building up to it! The second Milestone! The Raid of the century, to take the head of Oryx! Stay tuned next week for the next exciting chapter!

Luna sat on the couch in Fireteam Kronyz's apartment, with Rayn beside her fast asleep, and Hersh sitting in Dan's usual seat across the coffee table. His fingers drummed against his knees with boundless energy, itching to get back to fighting. She, on the other hand, was content with sitting there reading from Odin's journal, as the aforementioned Guardian, alongside Bianca and Dan, were in the Vanguard Hall planning for the next mission they would undertake.

_A Raid against Oryx himself_

Killing Crota had been one thing, and Luna knew that if they had faltered even for a second, they would have all fallen to him. His father would be an even more monumental task, one that she knew none of them were capable of knowing if they'd even be able to succeed in it. But Odin was determined to make good on his threats. He'd mount Oryx's head on his wall if they'd let him.

_Speaking of anger._

Her eyes glanced up to Hersh, and thought back on how he had gone against even Dan's wishes, and fired upon the Fallen.

_They killed me, but even I don't feel anger towards them. Fear, yes, but anger? Never._

Before her brain could tell her to stop, she opened her mouth. "Why do you hate the Fallen so much?"

Hersh's attention was pulled from his thoughts and he turned his head to her. "Cause they're animals."  _Well that doesn't give me much._

Thankfully, he wasn't finished. "I'm a new Guardian, been alive only for a about a year now, and I don't remember anything about my past life, except what people who knew me could tell me. That, and my hatred for the Fallen." His Ghost floated from behind him, spinning in circles as it spoke. "We can only guess that the Fallen might have killed him, and that's why he hates them so much"

_It doesn't seem quite right. Even if they killed him, there shouldn't be this much hatred. I can understand Odin's, because it's a hatred born of fear, fueled by it even._

Shaking his head, Hersh motioned to her. "What about you? How long have you been a Guardian?"

Thinking back to her death, she sighed. "It's been about nine months since I became a Guardian. The Fallen launched an attack after the defeat of Sepiks Prime, and I died in the defense. Almost a week later, I was brought back by my Ghost, much to the shock of a few people."

Hersh actually leaned forward at her words, surprise written on his face. "You fought in the battle, before you were a Guardian? I heard Zavala himself joined the battle! I was off on a patrol back then."

"Oh yeah, the entire Vanguard showed up by the time we pushed the Fallen back. It was a...short battle to say the least. Especially compared to the last assault they launched. They were beat back, but I took a round to the chest and bled out before I saw the battle through. Supposedly, Dan and Odin stepped outside the walls and destroyed the remaining forces."

Hersh nearly shot out of his seat. " _Those two were the pair of Guardians who did it?!"_ There was a glee in his voice, one that spoke volumes about how little he liked the Fallen. "The people who knew me told me about that. A Titan and a Hunter, walking out into the fields outside the walls and turning them to ash! Burning them to the ground in such an anger-fueled rage that the Fallen ran like cowards."

_It makes them sound like monsters._

"They were angry because I had fallen in battle. Their friend had been killed before their eyes, over an attack that they should have seen coming from a mile away. I'd have been upset too, but I'm not sure if I'd have been able to go as far as they did."

_Not unless they had killed Odin. I'm not sure how I would react to that._

As if she had summoned him, he burst in through the door and hurried to the back room, the one that held the memorial for the fallen. Dan came in just in time for him to come back, and Bianca just in time for her to catch the LMG he'd given her on the Reef; Super Good Advice, as she had learned it was called. Surprising her, he dropped the Gjallahorn into her hands. "Don't drop it, Oru would be mad enough to know he'd be used by a Warlock. Might just rise from his grave if you mistreated the remnants of his armor."

With both of his Hand Cannons on his hips, he nudged Rayn awake and spread his arms wide. "Guess what everyone? We've officially been approved to perform Regicide!  _We're gonna kill a king!"_


	35. Kings Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz comes face to face with the Hive God known as Oryx, will they finally fall to the Darkness he wields, or will Odin keep his word and mount the monster's head on a pike?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as a fair warning, like with the other Raids I'm going to make this more theatrical than like the game; a lot of the scenes with the game mechanics (like when you need people standing on plates or etc, or things spawning in waves) are going to play out differently than you might expect. But, I hope that you all enjoy them regardless!

The entire time they flew towards the Dreadnaught, all Luna could think of was what could happen; they could win, defeat Oryx here and now, but they could also just as likely be defeated by him. This time Tir wasn't joining them, and there was no sign of her ship following them. Even Odin had commented that she wouldn't join them on this one. It was daunting to know that one of their strongest wouldn't be with them, but Luna had faith in herself, and the others.

At least, she thought she did.

They dropped into the Dreadnaught further than she'd been; according to what Dan had said through their comms, another Fireteam had already been sent in to fight Oryx, and there was no word from them. The location was called the Court, though she had no idea why, but before them stood a massive portal, one that looked to have been activated by the six statues that lined the hallway leading up to it.

Dan and Odin went first, pushing into the portal to make sure that it was safe. Their comms crackled with static, but Dan's voice was clear enough. "We're good, come through."

To Luna's eyes, it looked as if they had come out deeper into the Dreadnaught, but their was an air about it.  _Like when the Taken had surrounded us, but this feels stronger. Worse._

The Veterans had been told of the layout of this part of the ship; the first Fireteam had kept the Vanguard up to date with their movements all the way up to a certain point. By then, they lost contact, and relinquished the mission to Fireteam Kronyz. Ahead of them was a massive chasm that was spanned by odd swinging platforms. Progressing together, they hopped between them to come up to another chasm.

This one had a Tombship docked on this side of it, and many more flying in and out of the Dreadnaught in front of them. It was simple enough for them, moving in pairs, to hop from ship to ship. Their landing was before yet another chasm, the sight of it leading to much grumbling among the Fireteam, even Luna getting sick of them.

That's when they discovered the first of the fallen, before the docked Tombship. Two plates on either side of the Tombship were needed to be activated to keep a shield open, and they had been informed that the Fireteam had members succumb to wounds. What they failed to mention, were that they had died on the plates, to give their Fireteam the chance to go.

Now, they'd offer the same chance to them. But, not before Luna saw Dan and Odin each take a piece of armor from the Titan and Hunter, respectively.

_To go with the others_

The six of them hopped onto the Tombship and flew across the way. This time it wasn't a chasm that greeted them, but a massive doorway that had once been sealed. Left open, they entered it to find themselves staring at the remains of a battle; one that was still going! Two Guardians were fighting with a massive Knight.

_Two Warlocks. One of Solar and one of Arc._

The Knight was nearly as large as Crota had been, but wielded a cannon, not a sword, and wearing a cape that flowed from his shoulders. Using their firepower, they sent it roaring behind its cover and gave the Warlocks a moment of rest. The pair were missing their Ghosts, something that surprised them, but the Stormcaller answered the unspoken question. "Our Ghosts were destroyed. We're not making it out of this place alive. The Warpriest up there needs to be defeated, and we barely have enough Light for one last use of our abilities."

It came around the pillar already firing, but Bianca threw down a Ward that protected them from it hitting them. Popping out, they all open fired on it again, and they watched it stumble underneath the attacks. It was already weakened, so they knew it would be killed soon, but the Sunsinger called out to them. "Our last two went ahead before the Warpriest could close the path! You need to get to them before they fall!"

One brought forth fire, the other electricity, and they combined their attacks as one. It hit the Warpriest in the face and they watched the trio fall as one; without their Light, they were once again corpses.

Odin and Dan once more grabbed a part of armor, strips of their robes before they moved on through the massive doorway the Warpriest had been guarding. It turned out to be a nearly pitch black labyrinth that was only lit by small orbs left on the floor; motes of Light, most likely a trail left by the first Fireteam's remaining two Guardians.

_Right. Left. Left. Right._

It's the next room that takes Luna's breath away. The creature firing a beam at the Titan and Hunter is supposed to be an Ogre, but some kind of limbs protruded from its back, like an open ribcage. The abomination's gaze was held solely by the Hunter, who was dodging and weaving between cover to let the Titan have access to the strange pulsating organ revealed on the Ogre's stomach.

_Like a heart, barely covered by skin._

If it surprised the two Guardians that it was another Fireteam, not their own, helping to push back the Orge, they didn't show it.  _They need to keep the masks on, to fight on even though it must hurt them to know they lost their team._

Dan dropped down into the arena that the Ogre stood in and brought the Nova Mortis up, as Bianca appeared at his side and did the same with Super Good Advice. The Titan in the middle seemed to droop, like he had been carrying the world on his shoulders, and the two were relieving a weary soul. The Hunter was the same way, when he dove behind cover and Odin took over, shooting the Ogre in the back and making sure he kept it facing the trio of Titans.

That left Rayn, Luna, and Hersh, to keep the hordes of Hive back from reaching the Veterans. At least, until the Hive became waves of Taken. That was when they flooded them with sheer numbers, Thralls unleashed en masse. In the arena, it was Corrupted Thralls, the worst of the worst; suicide bombers that could easily wipe them, but the Hunter peeked around his cover and fired down at them.

It worked, everyone working together, and soon the Ogre fell to its knees and onto its face; it was dead!

Luna came up to the Veterans in time to catch Bianca's words. "You've lost a lot of strength; any further in, and you might not make it out alive." The Hunter shook his head as the Titan crossed his arms. "We're going in. Alive in the end, or not, we're helping you get to Oryx."

And so, six Guardians became eight, and they descended even further into the Dreadnaught. This time, to traverse up a massive wall of pistons, that led them into a room with two Deathsingers. Unfortunately, they watched as an orb of Darkness enveloped Odin!

It sucked him in, and only Luna, who was closest, managed to jump into it before it disappeared.

_Like a crushing weight on my body. Where is it taking me?_

It spat her out alongside Odin, in a massive room that looked out into space. She didn't understand why they were here, until Oryx appeared. Bigger than Crota by a mile, he hung outside the Dreadnaught with one monstrous hand clutching it, and the other pointing to them.

_"Kin-slayer! You, who murdered my son, have breached my ship and killed my generals. Nearly attacked my daughters as well, but I have stopped you. I wish to take the pleasure myself in killing you."_

The laughter that sprung from Odin sent a chill down her spine. "You brought me here, straight to you?  _I didn't know you granted wishes!"_ The Last Word rose, firing at speeds that stunned even Luna as it fired upon the massive Hive God. Noticing an organ similar to the Ogre's, on his chest, Odin focused on that with each shot. Oryx roared in pain and reeled back, an aura of hatred nearly boiling the air.

_"You will find nothing but death granted here!"_

Luna joined Odin in firing at him, but even then it didn't seem to do much more than piss him off, not until an Ogre appeared that felt like it was sucking the breath from her lungs just by standing in the same room. Odin dropped it, and in turn it dropped a strange orb, one that caught a stray bullet and detonated! It caused Oryx to howl in pain and that's when Luna heard the glee in Odin's voice. "You'll be dead soon enough,  _God_."

Luna saw, out of the corner of her eye, another Ogre rise from the floor and took it upon herself to launch a javelin at it, letting Odin fire upon the orb that Oryx couldn't protect himself from. It was an unending storm of pain for the Taken King, and Odin was more than happy to deliver it upon him. She didn't know how long the two continued this cycle, but the rest of the Fireteam soon came along, minus the Hunter and Titan.

_The Deathsingers were too much for them._

She passed along the information, what they would need to know to help defeat Oryx, and the cycle went by like lightning. Soon their abilities soared through the sky; hammers, lightning of all kinds, fire, all of it knocked back Oryx and tore chunks from him. In the throes of what she could only assume was his death, Oryx reached out and tried to slam his hand onto Odin, but he dodged and raised the Last Word. "Remember what I said? Consider your head officially on a pike, and  _let yourself die you son of a bitch!_ "

_Seven shots, all fired from a Golden Gun, straight into Oryx's eyes._

The Taken King floated away from his ship, fading into nothing as if the Hive God, all powerful and leader of a vast army, had never existed to begin with.

_And so ends the reign of the King. Freedom to the people_


	36. Celebrating the Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King is dead, and the Tower celebrates the fall of the Taken King while Fireteam Kronyz relaxes.

Fireteam Kronyz landed on the Tower to applause; something that Luna was finally getting used to, but this time she immediately noticed Dan and Odin break off and move for their apartment.

_This time the memorial comes before the report._

She followed them, and the other three instinctively followed the rest of them. When they got to the room, and Bianca offered up Pahanin's gun, Luna remembered Oru, and went to get the launcher. To her surprise, she was stopped by Dan. "Don't, you might need the firepower one day. He'd be happy to be of help to you." He and Odin each placed their respective pieces with the others, the former already moving out to go give the Vanguard the report, and the latter moved with him!

Thinking that it was because they had been separated near the end, Luna decided to follow after him to give her own two cents. Oddly enough, he stepped away from Dan as they walked down the stairs. Instead of going any further, Odin came to a stop next to Eris and spoke to her in hushed whispers. A strange feeling rose in her throat when she saw the two embrace.

_Stop it, they're both survivors of Crota. It's probably a relief that he and his father are gone now._

Not realizing why, she stepped away to make her way back to the apartment, where Bianca was already out of armor, in the process of gathering a few things. "Oh, perfect! Luna, want to help me make a celebratory meal?"

"Oh, well sure."

"Good! Wash your hands and let's get started."

Removing her armor, and robes, it left her in casual clothes so she could be comfortable while she washed her hands in preparation. It looked like Bianca had gotten things out for a stew, and the thought of having it filled her with warmth. Getting a knife out, she decided to chop up the vegetables while Bianca prepared the rest.

The process was so distracting that she completely forgot about the feeling, even as Odin stepped back into the apartment with Dan at his side.

"Oh, stew? Man, we should kill God-Kings more often, huh Dan?"

"If it means stew? I'd take on the entire Hive pantheon."

Luna's eyebrow shot up, but Bianca giggled and waved her knife at them. "I don't cook often, and they seem to quite enjoy it when I do. It's been a while, since I didn't cook last time we did a Raid."

Odin's armor went first, vanishing so he was left in a bodysuit, and Dan's went next. Under it he wore casual clothing like Luna, and Bianca. The two took their seats while the remaining two rookies changed from their armor into casual clothing as well, taking their seats next to Luna.

Being the first time that Luna saw Rayn without armor, she was surprised to see that she was an Awoken, with red hair; it was wild, like a fire burning atop her head, and piercing blue eyes.

It was also the two's first time seeing the veterans without armor, and Hersh was particularly interested in Odin, as was Rayn, though the latter simply glanced once in a while, and Hersh stared. It didn't take but a few minutes before Odin sighed and brought Artic out. She brought up a video feed of Twilight Gap while he walked off to grab a drink from the fridge, letting the video explain to him what he clearly didn't feel like saying.

Taking a sip from the bottle, he returned to his seat in time for the feed to show him being carried away by Bianca. From his right came Dan's voice. "Oh, speaking of naps," It earned him a stare from Odin and Bianca both, but continued "Zavala gave us new orders. A whole week off, a reward, or punishment if you're Cayde, for going above and beyond for the Traveler, for the Tower, for the City, for the people."

Luna's mind flooded with thoughts, what she could do during that week.

_Relax._

_Spend time with Matty._

_Pick up a hobby._

_Explore._

There was a lot she could do, and as they spent the hours doing their best to relax, or talking amongst one another. When the stew was done, Dan got the bowls ready and Bianca ladled it into them, with Odin passing them out to everyone. 

The dinner was... _nice._ The stew was delicious and the fact that they had nothing to immediately worry about; there were no fights coming, no wars, no major threat. It let her relax truly for the first time since coming to the City for the first time.

_This is the kind of thing I was looking for when we came here. A safe, warm place to have a family._

The food was finished faster than they thought it'd be, but Bianca had made plenty, so they ate until Luna finally felt like she was full again. 

_I don't feel hungry ever, but I can still feel some semblance of full._

If this is what downtime in the life of a Guardian was like this...it'd be something worthwhile.

_Something worth protecting._


	37. A Day In The Life Of Hersh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the start of the week off for Fireteam Kronyz, and the first day is a day in the life of Dan's biggest fan.

When the sun came up, Hersh got up with it; a habit born from his time before being a Guardian. It was really the only thing he kept from his past life, as Hersh was the name he had chosen after. A brand new name for a brand new life. The apartment that had now become his home was a bit difficult to get used to at first, but now that he had slept in it a few times, he felt like it was his own home.

First thing he did when he woke up, was to bring out his arsenal of weapons and one by one dismantle them, to clean and inspect them. It was a monotonous task that he enjoyed doing on a daily basis. Only once he was assured that each gun was put back together, and worked, he would move onto the next task for the day.

Out into the Tower Hersh went, to stock up on whatever materials, or in some cases ammunition, he felt like he needed. Talking with Banshee was always a fun time. While he may have been considered crazy by some, he was still the expert when it came to firepower, and he was always happy to listen to Banshee's crazy talk if it meant he could get a better weapon to fight the Fallen with at the end of the day.

That always took up a few hours of his time, stepping away from Banshee to let others speak with him and coming back when they were done so he could continue talking.

When he finally had everything he needed, or wanted, he moved down into the City for lunch. He didn't typically eat often, but when he did he went to the same popular shop as everyone else, to get his hands on a bowl of noodles. Personally, he enjoyed it far more once it had been doused in an entire bottle of hot sauce, but that was most likely due to the fact that as a Guardian his taste buds were dulled.

Typically he would go for a walk while he ate, rather than sitting there at the stall. It was kind of like working off the food as he ate it. Even if the food didn't actually make him fat or anything of the sort.

_Imagine that, a fat Guardian. What a sight that would be._

It felt like that bowl was empty in only a matter of minutes, but seeing how many people were now out and about, he knew it had been at least two, even three hours. A good portion of the day had passed, and he hadn't even done much.

That was when he spotted Dan, moving towards the Tower. Almost immediately he rushed after him. "Dan! What are you doing today?"

The Titan came to a stop, and turned to look at him. "I'm going to watch a Crucible match. Zavala wants me to give my opinion on a handful of Titans that he's pitting against a veteran. You can come along if you wish."

"I'd love to!" And he did, he loved that he was being invited. He followed Dan up to the theater and to his surprise Dan went to a separate area than he normally did. This one was more like box seats, sitting away from the usual crowd. As if he knew Hersh was confused, he motioned to the box. "It's sound-proof, so I can focus on the Titans fighting, and not the roar of the crowd. Easier to observe them this way."

It truly was, too. The moment they sat down and the door shut, it shut out the crowd with it. Only Shaxx could be heard, and even he was tuned out when they began to focus on the fighting. It was a Rumble match; they were common among veterans, who ended up using them to test their mettle against other veterans, rather than team-based competitive matches that were a breeze when too many veterans were on a team.

Out of the six fighters, three of them were supposed to be Titans, the remainder of them being two Warlocks and one Hunter. Interestingly enough, even though they were enemies they would work together to take out the other fighters, before moving against one another. It was an amazing feat of teamwork during a match that was all about a single winner.

Hersh noticed something when their abilities began to kick in; all three of them were Strikers like he was!

Dan seemed to notice his thought. "Strikers are one of the most common classes of Titans, with Defenders right behind them. Sunbreakers are far less plentiful, and for good reason."

"Should I become a Sunbreaker?"

_I could be like Dan._

"No. As a Striker, you channel Arc in ways that can overwhelm crowds of enemies, or deliver a single massive hit to the enemy. Sunbreakers are great for crowd control, but you're a Striker through and through, and that's what you should be proud of."

_That's right, I should be proud of it!_

After all, if  _the_ Dan Merris was complimenting his class, you could be damn sure he was going to take pride in it! It was like a dream come true!

To no one's surprise, one of the Titans was the victor, with the other two in second and third place respectively. Dan rubbed at his chin and leaned back in his seat. "They're pretty good, clearly seasoned Guardians. Zavala's got a few good candidates for the big leagues." Standing, he opened the door and stepped out of it with Hersh right on his heels.

"I'll be heading off-planet by the end of the night, and unfortunately for you Hersh, you can't go where I'm going. Probably be gone all night, and for most of the day, so don't wait up. See you, and the others, some time tomorrow night."

Without his helmet on, Hersh had to hide the disappointment he felt in not being able to go with him, and shrugged. "Well okay then. Until then Dan!" He watched the veteran walk away, turning himself around to gaze out over the theater.

While he was here, he might as well enjoy a few more rounds of Crucible in the best seats in the house, right?


	38. A Day In The Life Of Dan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to peek into a day in the life of Dan, as he goes about his business when the Vanguard gives him a week of vacation

People didn't always believe that Titans were the smartest of the bunch; granted, they never knew any on a personal level, and Shaxx was a tad bit of a brute and loudmouth, which didn't help their case. But, Dan was an excellent observer and he noticed Hersh's disappointment when he left him there in the theater. Unfortunately, he really couldn't have taken him with him even if he wanted to.

_And to be honest, Hersh was starting to grow on him. Barely._

It wasn't like he couldn't technically come with him, but in the end it would be best if only Dan went to the place he was heading. After all, the Sunbreakers only accepted their own people, or candidates, to their sacred Forge. He had been trained a long time ago, far longer than he cared to remember, by them and while he may not have been a member of their clan, he was given leeway to be the speaker for them to Zavala, and vice versa.

As he stepped into the hangar and entered his ship, he thought back on how the day had started.

He'd rose shortly before the sun, stepping out into the hallway to find everyone's doors shut except for Odin's; most likely he'd gone out before him. The bastard either hadn't gone to sleep, which is far more likely, or he'd truly woken up before him. He at least knew that he'd be fine even if he didn't get any sleep. Many a Guardian didn't sleep, some for days and some for months.

_And some for years, or a lifetime even._

He'd been called to Zavala only minutes later, and was asked to watch over a match later that day in the hopes of assessing a trio of Titans that he had sent into the Crucible to pit them against a Veteran. He hadn't been informed of who the Veteran would be, but he figured it'd be an interesting match. That was still a few hours away, and he needed to grab a few things.

Most Guardians would go to Banshee, or one of the Vanguard if they were eager, for their gear, but Dan frequented the Vanguard Quartermaster the most, with Shaxx as a close second. One might think that the two of them would sell less gear, perhaps lower quality, but not a single person in this Tower sold bad gear. Especially since arming the Guardians was something that was done for the greater good.

Ammunition for his Hand Cannon, a couple of Heavy Ammo synthesis for the Nova Mortis, and as much ammo for his shotgun as he could manage to carry. At least for now, he'd be set if they were pulled out for an emergency mission, or he just wanted to step out into the Wilds for one reason or another. Moving towards the Plaza, he moved around to the North Hall, past the Speaker, where he knew he could find Bianca; she should be awake by now, and getting breakfast for herself before she went to work.

_She always ate the most often out of us all_

And of course he was right. She sat at the smaller noodle stall, the one that Veterans frequented more often than the stall down in the City. As always, she was on the corner stool, slurping away at her noodles when he walked up, taking the seat to her left. "Careful, keep eating like that and you'll end up fat."

Without missing a beat, she slugged him in the arm with one hand, the other busy funneling noodles into her mouth. Of course, that only made him hell-bent on making her laugh.

"I can hear it already," at this, his voice rose in pitch until it was a joking rendition of her own voice "does this armor make my butt look big? It makes me feel like it makes my butt look big. Oh no, what if I can't fit into my armor anymore? What if I can't fit through doors anymore!" The entire time he spoke, he was in motion, miming out how he thought she'd be looking herself over, even going as far as to look over his shoulder at his own rear.

Bianca broke at that point, imagining how his face was contorting into worry, and nearly spewed up her food while laughter shook her entire frame.

Once it was over, she shook her head and slapped his shoulder. "I could have choked on my food you asshole!"

"Oh come on, it would have been worth it."

"Is there a reason you're here? I know it isn't to eat, you're not big on that."

Dan leaned back on the stool, glancing skyward. "I'm about to go visit the Forge. Figured I'd see if you had a message to pass along."

Bianca lost her smile, if only for the few seconds that she spent gazing into her nearly empty bowl of noodles. When she finally spoke, he could hear the exhaustion, and the need hidden beneath it, in her voice.

"The usual; hello, how are you doing, am I ever going to see you again?"

He knew that the last part was something she didn't want him to pass on; the receiver of the message would have taken it as well as a stab to the heart. But, it was a small enough joke to bring a tiny smile back to her face.

"Alright, the usual it is then."

Instead of getting up, he sat there at her side in comfortable silence, the only kind of help he could offer her. Any words he could offer her were something she had heard far too many times over the years, and he figured it wasn't his place to beat a dead horse.

It was a few hours before she rose from her seat and rested her hand on his shoulder in a silent thank you. Words of emotion were not always something Titans were known for, but amongst one another they had their ways to communicate. In return he gave her a nod, that she appreciated more than words. Bianca left to get to work in the medical wing and Dan rose a moment later to head down into the City.

There wasn't really any reason to be down here, but he liked to stand in the middle of the bustling streets and admire how much progress had been achieved; today, it was less progress, and more like there was an air of cheer. The news of Oryx being taken out had reached all over, people were either celebrating with others, or being generous; the noodle stand down in the City seemed to be giving away bowls of food to children that came by, a trend that many places seemed to be following for the day.

As he turned to leave, that's when he heard Hersh call out for him. "Dan! What are you doing today?"

_No harm in letting him come with me._

"I'm going to watch a Crucible match. Zavala wants me to give my opinion on a handful of Titans that he's pitting against a veteran. You can come along if you wish."

"I'd love to!"

The eagerness of Hersh was something that Dan often remembered he once had, back when Guardians were new. Back when the Darkness hadn't yet come back and torn their world apart a second time. He dwelled on the past, letting himself remember old times before they made it to the theater. Surprise registered in Hersh's walk when Dan turned away from the usual seats.  He motioned to the box seats he was moving towards.

"It's sound-proof, so I can focus on the Titans fighting, and not the roar of the crowd. Easier to observe this way."

It really was too; even Shaxx was drowned out, and that in and of itself was quite the feat to accomplish. So heavily focused on the match was he, that when he spoke to Hersh about being a Striker over a Sunbreaker, he barely remembered speaking.

When he stood to leave, he noticed that Hersh went to follow him. "I'll be heading off-planet by the end of the night, and unfortunately for you Hersh, you can't go where I'm going. Probably be gone all night, and for most of the day, so don't wait up. See you, and the others, some time tomorrow night."

Shaking his head, Dan grabbed the controls of his ship and pointed it towards Mercury, letting the sun's heat wash over him the closer he got to it.

_ Forge, here I come. _


	39. A Day In The Life Of Bianca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see into a day in the life of the Fireteam's one and only Medic!

Bianca crawled herself out of bed and into the living room to find Dan and Odin already out of the apartment; the bastards were the earliest risers out of them all, and curse them for it. One day, she'd like to have the team wake up together, have a nice breakfast, and be the family they all saw each other as.

But, that day wasn't today it seems.

Getting her armor on, minus the helmet, she moved out into the Tower's Plaza, to the medical wing to do a quick check on whoever still remained, before she stepped out to go get herself some breakfast. There was a second, smaller noodle stall up here on the Tower itself; really it was the original one, that had become popular and moved a second one down into the City for all to enjoy. It was her personal favorite, because she'd been coming here since the Tower had first been built.

Taking her usual seat on the corner of the stall, she ordered a bowl and had only just gotten started eating it when Dan sat down beside her. 

"Careful, keep eating like that and you'll end up fat."

Without missing a beat, she slugged him in the arm with one hand, the other busy funneling noodles into her mouth.

_Like I could even get fat!_

Of course, as she should have known, her reaction only made him try harder.

"I can hear it already," at this, his voice rose in pitch until it was a joking rendition of her own voice "does this armor make my butt look big? It makes me feel like it makes my butt look big. Oh no, what if I can't fit into my armor anymore? What if I can't fit through doors anymore!" The entire time he spoke, he was in motion, miming out how he thought she'd be looking herself over, even going as far as to look over his shoulder at his own rear.

_Fuck!_ Unable to stop, she burst into laughter at the image in her mind of how his face was probably contorting into a look of worry over how fat his ass had become. It nearly caused her to spew noodles from her nose.

Once she was able to calm down, she slapped his shoulder while shaking her head at his antics. "I could have choked on my food asshole!"

"Oh come on, it would have been worth it."

"Is there a reason you're here? I know it isn't to eat, you're not big on that."

Dan leaned back on the stool, glancing skyward. "I'm about to go visit the Forge. Figured I'd see if you had a message to pass along."

_Oh, of course._ She tried, but she knew her smile vanished when she stared down into her bowl, she just hoped that when she opened her mouth, he didn't hear how exhausting the question was to her.

"The usual; hello, how are you doing, am I ever going to see you again?" She hadn't truly intended that last question to slip out. Partially joking, partially serious, it would have been received by them like a knife to the heart, and she was happy to see that faint nod from him. It was slight, but enough for her to know he understood that it wasn't truly meant to be spoken.

"Alright, the usual it is then."

Thankfully he didn't leave yet. He sat there at her side in comfortable silence, not trying to pretty up the truth that they both knew, that she hated to admit even to others; she'd fallen in love with a Sunbreaker, another Titan that had meant the world to her. But, when they left the City behind to set up on Mercury, she couldn't go with them.

Even when her lover had come to her, nearly begging her to go with her, she just couldn't do it. Leaving behind the City meant leaving behind innocent people that she could have helped, people she could have protected. Thankfully, she had understood Bianca's desire to protect. That last night together was burned into her memory, and when the sun rose she was gone, taking Bianca's heart with her.

_We swore never to love another. But this distance kills me._

_ It was a few hours before she rose from her seat and rested her hand on his shoulder in a silent thank you. Words of emotion were not always something Titans were known for, but amongst one another they had their ways to communicate. In return he gave her a nod, that she appreciated more than words. Bianca left to get to work in the medical wing, not looking back. _

_ In he medical wing, to her surprise, she found Rayn laying down in one of the nearby beds; according to the chart left by her bed, she had come in with lacerations on her hands, and not from enemy attacks. Apparently she had been doing target practice, and managed to break one of the Hand Cannons in her inventory, hurting herself in the process. _

_ The oddest part, was that witnesses claimed she pulled out another Hand Cannon and kept going, until that one also broke, the two having probably jammed or misfired from overuse. A hunch formed in her mind as to what exactly had happened, but that would be saved for later. _

Taking a seat next to the bed, she took one of Rayn's hands in hers. 

_The wounds are similar to Odin's from Twilight Gap. She's been pushing herself too hard lately._

A sigh escaped without her realizing it. The rookies were struggling, trying to become soldiers like they were in a war that was dragging them into the abyss. She couldn't approve of such a thing, but in the end she knew it had to be done. Veterans were plentiful, but even they were slowly dwindling as the Darkness took them one by one.

_The Darkness know we're a threat. Without us to guide the younger generation of Guardians, how will they survive the trials it throws at them_

With a new resolve, Bianca sat up straight and focused on the Light within her. For years she had been simply a Defender; Dan was a Sunbreaker, but had morphed it into something new, and Odin was able to channel his Golden Gun in a multitude of ways, including into more than one weapon at a time. She had yet to do so, because she wasn't the fighter she should be.

Slowly, she felt the Light spread over her body; the Ward didn't appear, but she felt it coat her like a second skin, slowly traveling outwards from her chest and across her from head, to toe. The ultimate defense; the ultimate armor.

_I'll do all that I can, to make sure that we Veterans leave them in a place that they can be happy._

 


	40. A Day In The Life Of Rayn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see into the life of Rayn for a day; what's our favorite rookie Hunter up to?

Rayn woke early in the morning, as the sun was just peeking above the horizon according to her Ghost, but she had yet to step from her room. Thinking on how things had gone on the Raid, and the days before, and after, that damned venture into the Dreadnaught, she had begun to research all that she could about Gunslingers. Records were accurate only up to a certain point unfortunately.

After all, there was no one to keep track of the events, in their entirety, before the Tower had been built. Odin had given her a few pieces of history when she had asked last night, which was only a few transcripts detailing things such as the defeat of Dredgen Yor by the hand of someone they claimed had been the first of the Gunslingers. Then again, Odin was older than him.

_Then again, who knows what Odin had been in the early years. The Traveler knows that he certainly never spoke about it._

That's when it hit her.  _If you want to know about Hunters, why not speak to the Vanguard in charge of them?_

Stepping out of her room, she noticed that the Veterans were already out of the apartment. Though, she couldn't actually remember Odin ever coming back to his room. Her own room was next to his, so typically he could be heard entering it thanks to the things littering the floor that he had to constantly navigate and rearrange.

It didn't take her long to make her way to the Vanguard Hall, at least  _to_ it. Getting inside was another problem, as she was stopped by the sight of Eris hunched over her orb even further than usual. She would never voice it, but the sight of Eris unnerved her.

_Her presence was unnatural. Not Light, but not Darkness._

_A void, that devoured whatever light it touched. The Traveler's, or otherwise._

Of course she didn't trust Eris, but the Veterans, and the Vanguard did, so she kept her own feelings buried deep and kept her lips sealed whenever she came up in conversation. Then again, it might have had something to do with how much she hated the Hive. She knew how most of their Fireteam felt about the Fallen; it was how she felt about the Hive, hating them with a passion that she knew many other Guardians shared with her.

But again, it was something she didn't talk about. She saw how Hunters acted; quiet about their own emotions, keeping them reigned in so it never brought problems to their job. Though, she had heard many a story about Odin and the way he acted on missions.

When she did finally make it into the Vanguard Hall to talk with Cayde, she saw him light up with the hope that she was here to distract him from the monotonous task that was his job.

"Guardian Rayn! So nice of you to come see me on your day off! What can I do for you?" The Exo Hunter was bursting with energy now.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, I'm here to ask a few questions. I was wondering if you had any information about Gunslingers. And no, I don't mean yourself." Cayde practically crumpled in disappointment, but he motioned for his Ghost to float a little closer to them. 

"Well, we have the perfect video for you if that's what you want. It's of your mentor during the Battle of the Gap." She watched him lean in, one hand blocking the side of his mouth like he was telling her a secret. "Bianca thought she hid the video, but she really underestimated what I can do when I'm bored."

_This is it!_

This was something that she had heard whispers about; a Guardian that had used two Golden Guns to drive back Fallen from their position. She knew Odin used two Hand Cannons often in battle, but she had never witnessed two Golden Guns; in the latest battles, he only ever used one.

_Is it too strenuous? Too much energy?_

No, that couldn't be it. The Battle of the Gap was pretty stressful, and he'd still been going strong up to the point of his helmet being shattered.

That brought forth a thought; how difficult was it to use two Golden Guns? Was it a matter of energy needed, Light to be divided evenly and spread between the two weapons? Or was it as simple as concentrating a little harder? She could only fire off three shots from her one gun, but that was due to only being a few months old, and having not trained, or fought, as often as her mentor had.

She offered her thanks to Cayde before moving out of the Hall. To the Hangar she went, knowing that off in one of the corners was an area that Holliday had designated for Guardians to do target practice; she had heard that Odin brought Luna down here earlier in the year. Speaking of which, she could see the aforementioned Guardian talking to Holliday about something, he brother standing at her side.

_It looks like they're talking about Sparrows. Maybe she's going to buy him one, and go racing with him._

Whatever her plan was, Rayn made sure to hurry past and get to the little corner of the Hangar. The goal was to attempt what she had seen in the video, what she had seen when Odin had been nearly overrun.

_Two Golden Guns. Even if only one shot each, I'll manage it one way or another._

A back-up Hand Cannon had been grabbed from her room before she came down here, setting up makeshift targets made from scrap metal by the edge of the Hangar. Taking her time to summon Light within her, feeling it travel down her right arm like usually. Once she felt the Light take form, become Solar energy, she tried to focus and bring it over to her other arm as well.

Only a second of thought was all it took for the Solar energy to lash out, knocking her back and forcing her to drop the guns!

It had been a struggle to get her Light to spread further than it normally did, and it had practically slapped her in the face for trying. Shaking her head, she got up and grabbed her Hand Cannons to give it another go.

The same thing happened just a few seconds later, except this time she felt the sharp pain in her hands like she'd been stabbed in them!

Cursing, the clutched them close to her chest as the pain dwindled away; this was punishment for pushing her limits, but Traveler be damned, she'd succeed!

She didn't know how long had passed during her training, just that she felt the aches in her bones and a weight on her shoulders. There would be pain as well, but the numerous failures had made her hands numb now, though she could see a bit of blood dripping from them when she wasn't focusing on how they shook.

_It's far more difficult than I thought it would be. I can't give in._

That was all that went through her mind before she collapsed. Before she hit the ground, arms hooked under her body and lifted her with startling ease. She couldn't open her eyes, and sleep was beginning to take her, but she still heard the familiar voice rumbling in her ear.

"She'll be fine, Artic. Her Light was drained from pushing herself too hard, trying to be like me. Nearly got it at the end there, but hopefully she forges her own path in the end. Still, I'm quite proud of her."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "Come on, let's get her to the medical wing. Hopefully Bianca can take a look at her."

Darkness took her, but those words rang in her mind even in her sleep.

_Proud of me._


	41. A Day In The Life Of Luna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see into the day in the life of our favorite Rookie Warlock!

Luna couldn't remember the last time she had been given a proper day off; even before becoming a Guardian, she had spent days off with reports or other things that she knew could be put off for a day, but never pulled away from the work. It was her curse after all, to want to do the best she could even when it wasn't expected of her. Today though, was all about Matthew.

_It's been too long since we've enjoyed ourselves together, as family._

Up and out of the apartment the moment she could drag herself out of the warm comfort her bed offered her, she found Matthew waiting right where she asked him to; by Eva. The older woman seemed to enjoy his company even when he wasn't working at her side, and Luna knew he'd be able to put a smile on her face before he left to enjoy a day off with his sister.

"Good morning Eva! I'm here to collect my brother."

With a gentle nudge, Eva guided her brother to her side instead of her own. "One little gentleman, at your request milady. I hope he can enjoy himself for the both of us!"

"I'll even bring you back something to make you smile!" The way Matthew beamed up at her, one might think that she was just as much a family member as Luna was, and honestly, she felt like it. Even Luna had begun seeing her as a mother of sorts, one that was far better than their own.

_I can't even remember the last time I saw her._

Matthew had been too young to know her, having been only a year old when she left them, slipping from the camp they had set up in the middle of the night. To this day, Luna still held onto the anger, and the hurt, of their own mother abandoning them.

_Had we been too much for her? Not good enough?_

The only thing she knew, was that even if their mother was still alive out there, she didn't want to see her again.

Brushing off the thoughts, she guided Matthew down into the Hangar and to Holliday who had given her the idea of getting a Sparrow for Matthew, one that she'd personally hold for the two of them whenever he might want it, or need it. So, she'd bought him an older model that Holliday had worked on herself and assured them that it was safe for Matthew to use.

Thankfully it was only a matter of taking the Sparrow into her inventory, digitalizing it as her Ghost so kindly put it, and the two of them went down to the base of the Tower where there was a plot of land designated for new Guardians to learn how to operate their Sparrows within the safety of the Walls. Many of them knew Matthew since he helped Eva repair a lot of their equipment, and when they saw he was getting on a Sparrow, Luna suddenly found herself surrounded by a dozen or so Guardians, all of whom were happy to help her guide him through the process.

_There's so many Guardians here, all of them like a big family for Matthew....if something happened to me, at least he'd still be safe._

That train of thought chilled her to the bone, and brought her back to reality. She wouldn't be lost, wouldn't fall, not with the Fireteam that had become her family. Though, it hovered in the back of her mind even while her and Matthew began a slow lap around the City on their Sparrows, side-by-side the entire way. Every so often, she'd glance to Matthew on the Sparrow beside her, and back come those thoughts.

_Our mother gave up on us_

_Can I do her job for her?_

_Am I good enough?_

She had to pull up short as her and Matthew nearly ran right into a fellow Guardian!

Nearly as tall as Odin was, he was clearly a Warlock given the robes he wore, but oddly enough he wore all black, even the helmet that looked as if made from obsidian, and his Ghost too!

Thankfully he didn't get mad at them, but he seemed to be more focused on the building he had just been shoved out of. 

"I'm going to plant my foot so far up your skinny ass, you'll be picking my laces from between your teeth, if I even leave you any!"

_By the Traveler, who the hell is he talking to...._

Naturally, he was talking to Odin; the Hunter stepped slowly from the doorway of the building with his hands clenching into fists. "Oh, that so? I'd like to see you try!"

The Warlock launched himself at Odin, but he was far quicker on the draw. Grabbing one of his arms and spinning around, he launched the Warlock back out into the street before he noticed the two of them. "Oh, Luna, Matthew; I didn't see you there. Might want to steer clear, head around real fast."

From behind, the Warlock wrapped his arms around him and went for a suplex, but Odin rolled with it and smashed him into the ground. There, the two wrestled and slugged each other like backstreet brawlers, while Matthew ooo'ed and aww'ed at the sight. "Come on Matthew, let's get out of here before something happens."

"Aww, but Luna!" 

Thankfully he listened, and the two sped away from the fight. Internally, Luna hoped that Odin would win the fight, regardless of why the fight was going on.

Once back at the Tower, she took Matthew's Sparrow back up to Holliday and the two spent the next hour eating a meal together, talking about his work and how he was enjoying it. In the back of her mind, those thoughts continued to hound her, even when she bid him good night and went off to visit Tir about something she'd discovered in the journal Odin once wrote in...


	42. A Day In The Life Of Odin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see into the day in the life of our favorite Veteran Hunter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the late post, I was sick yesterday and couldn't finish the chapter in time to post it, but hopefully you all enjoy this!

The sun was beginning to rise when Odin stepped out of the apartment, and slipped down into the City away from the rest of his Fireteam. He knew that lately he'd been a bit...volatile, for lack of a better word. Figuring that he needed to blow off some steam, he went to the one place he knew would be perfect for it; the pits. The Crucible was for official business, but the pits was where Guardians who just wanted to brawl decided to set up shop.

It was run by a few civilians, and while the Vanguard knew of it-  _or at least Cayde, since he was usually here placing bets when he could slip out_ \- they didn't do anything to stop them. After all, it wasn't to the death, only until one of the two fighters yielded in one way or another. Once inside the small building, he walked downstairs into the much larger room that held the fights. This early in the morning, only about twenty Guardians were waiting there for a fight.

They didn't have to wait long, their champion entered the makeshift ring; standing nearly as tall as Odin, and wearing all black, the Warlock was well known by the Guardians who bet on him, or those who fought him. Odin could never remember what dumb title they gave him as their champion, since he had yet to lose a match when he entered the ring, but he knew his name; Acheron, named after the river in Greek myth.

He was nearly as old as him, a Veteran that still had the cockiness of a Rookie, but that wild, devastating power that had become the Veterans' calling card. If there was one nice thing he could say about the guy, it was that he was an excellent pit fighter, and that was about it. His personality had never been a positive one in his mind, but Odin had witnessed the man putting a Rookie into the ground one day for no reason other than having stepped on his robes.

It was tempting to step into the ring with him, but he truly didn't know if he could take him in a fight. It wasn't worth the risk. Not until Acheron caught sight of him.

"Odin, long time no see! Where have you been, locked up with that Ogre of a wife of yours?"

_Calm down, he's just trying to rile you up._

Shaking off the rising anger, he offered only a shrug in response; Tir was no concern of his, and a simple insult was nothing to throw down over.

"Oh, has she not been giving you any lately? Ooo, maybe you can't stomach it. I know you're probably a train wreck under that helmet, but she must be even worse if you've got nothing to say. Maybe I'll head over to her place and find out myself."

He turned to the closest referee and handed him the Hand Cannons on his hips. "This isn't an official match, but be ready to call the end." 

"Oh, don't want to add your loss to my victory tally?"

In silence, Odin stepped into the ring and cracked his knuckles, motioning for Acheron to come at him.

The Warlock rushed him and threw out a punch with practiced eased, but Odin leaned away from it and caught him under the chin with enough force to launch him off of his feet! As he rose off the floor, Odin drove his elbow into Acheron's stomach hard enough to slam him to the ground, nearly cracking open his helmet!

Acheron laid there, unmoving, and the referee stared dumbfounded until Odin took his Hand Cannons back and walked slowly up the stairs. About halfway up them was as far as he got before he heard the footsteps he was waiting for, crouching so Acheron ended up splayed across his back, and leaping forward so that he was sent out the front door! He watched him rise back up.

"I'm gonna shove my foot so far up your skinny ass, that you'll be picking laces from between your teeth, if I even leave you any!"

Clenching his hands into fists, Odin stepped out onto the street. "Oh, that so? I'd like to see you try!"

Acheron launched himself at Odin, but he was far quicker on the draw. Grabbing one of his arms and spinning around, he launched the Warlock back out into the street before he noticed the two Sparrows hovering on the street.

_ Ah, shit. _

"Oh, Luna, Matthew; I didn't see you there. Might want to steer clear, head around real fast."

_ Hopefully away from this so you don't see how much of an idiot I am. _

He wasn't stupid, he knew the way Luna looked at him. He'd seen that look before in someone he once knew, and once even in his own eyes. But while he didn't condone it, he wasn't going to call her out on it like some asshole.

On the other hand, he also didn't want her to see him potentially get his ass handed to him; it was bad enough that Tir probably told her every terrible thing about him, but still. On top of that, there was the journal, which he barely remembered anything of if he was honest.

_ If I'm lucky, I just bitched and moaned about the big events. But, knowing me, I wrote a little too much down and she's heard a thing or two she really shouldn't have. _

From behind, Acheron wrapped his arms around him and went for a suplex, but Odin rolled with it and smashed him into the ground. There, the two wrestled and slugged each other, with Odin glancing out the corner of his eye until he saw Luna and Matthew ride off on their Sparrows.

Once they were gone, he rose with Acheron in his hands and slung him into the nearest wall, pinning him to it with an arm to his throat. "Look, you need to calm your ass down! You mouthed off at me, accepted my challenge, and I beat your ass. Get over it!"

Acheron's head snapped forward in an attempt to headbutt him, but there wasn't enough room to get proper weight behind the strike, and it only made Odin push a little harder on his arm. "I said calm down damn it! Go back down to the pits, fight some other assholes. I'm not in the mood to let you try and salvage your pathetic ego."

He tossed Acheron to the side and walked away, thankfully hearing nothing but silence behind him.

It was a long trek back up to the Tower, but at least it gave him time to think on things; the past, present, what was in store in the future. There was a long stretch of time from his 'birth' and now, and he was hoping as he flew to Tir's home, that it would be equally long from now to his death. If he was lucky.

Then again, when was he that lucky?


	43. A Day In The Life Of Tir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to see into the day in the life of our resident hermit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. It's been a rough week, but hopefully I can pull myself together. And my apologies for the short length of the chapter! As always, enjoy, and please comment if you wish

There had always been a schedule of sorts, in Tir's life. Back when she had once patrolled with, or gone out on missions with, Fireteam Kronyz, she'd stuck by the team's schedule, but in what had become her home, everything ran on her time. Granted, the occasional attack by the Fallen tended to pull her off the rails, but could it really be so bad when ninety percent of the time, the lightning outside of her home took care of it?

_Speaking of which, barely out of bed and I already hear a group being blasted to pieces._

That was something she had learned to pick out between the sounds of thunder; explosions, so faint that they would blend into the storm if not for the faintest sound of metal raining onto the snow. No matter how loud the storm got, it never rained, so her ears soon learned to pick out the sound in case there were ever more coming for her.

Luckily, after the most recent attempt on her life when Luna had first been here, they had calmed down to only a few patrols every so often. Then again, they'd lost many of their forces that day, and coupled with Odin clearing out the patrols closest to the building, she lived in relative peace for now. Thus, she began her morning with some light reading. Not that she didn't always read, but what time is was dictated what she read.

The moment she rose, to the sun reaching halfway between the horizon and its apex, it was whatever new book that she had found, or been given by others like Odin or Luna the one time. After that, it would be whatever research she was currently doing. Something she took great pride in, was the fact that the vast majority of the knowledge the Vanguard had, including Ikora, was information that she had passed along over the years.

_Bet it gets her robes in a bunch to always remember that I'm the reason she knows so much._

The knowledge from the Golden Age was always something she had been fascinated by, between the inventions of the time, the culture, it was amazing. It was also what drew her into her famous zone, where it would take someone getting within range to touch her before she managed to realize that they were there. It was a little bad, given that she typically lived alone and couldn't afford to let her guard down.

Though it never stopped her from getting drawn into the wonders of the Age before them. Before the Collapse, that had ruined so much, taken so many lives and destroyed so much knowledge. They would never be able to return their libraries back to what they used to be, but they had managed to at least salvage much of it. No matter what, they'd continue to learn, and grow as a race. Together, as one.

She had just switched to her third book of the day, to do a bit of research of the very land she lived in, when Luna appeared in the window, clutching the tome to her chest.

_Traveler, what did she find now in that stupid book._

Luna stepped forward as she cleared her throat. "I found something, I was hoping you could help me with it."

_This should be fun._

Walking over to where Tir sat, Luna flipped open to a page she had bookmarked. On it, was a detailed account of the Battle of the Gap. A finger traced the words Luna had been eyeing.

"We went in with six of us; Bianca had stuck around since the last time I pulled a team together, and while Dan was busy elsewhere, I managed to snatch up Oru. He was a good man, a brilliant Titan. The two Warlocks were husband and wife, married together by Osiris on the field of battle I think they said. And lastly, Her. The only other Hunter I'd trust to watch my back. And just like every other time, Fireteam Kronyz died on the field."

The handwriting was even worse on this page than all the rest, but Tir knew that was because Odin had still been adjusting to the loss of sight in his left eye.

_She can't read it I guess._

That thought was dashed in the next heartbeat. "I can't find any kind of name for this Hunter, do you know who it is? I only find mention of Her, no name, nothing to go by."

"Why do you want to know so badly? What will you do with the knowledge of her name, go searching in the archives for her?"

_That look on her face. She's trying so damn hard, and for what? So she can learn more about her crush?_

"I want to know all I can about each version of Fireteam Kronyz. I know of the very first team, I know of their deaths at the Battle of Six Fronts. And I've seen the Battle of the Gap, so I've seen their deaths, but the Hunter isn't named, and she isn't listed in any of the Vanguard's notes about the Fireteam."

"That's because that iteration of the Fireteam was for that single battle. I'm sure that if they had survived, then they would have gone on to do more together, but that didn't pan out." Tir leaned back, thinking for just a moment on the Fireteam. Odin had considered asking her to join it, along with another Warlock he knew, but in the end he'd decided against it. It had been for the better, she thought.

_If I had gone, who's to say that I would have survived? Things may have gone differently I suppose, but still._

"I want to know why she was so important, who she was, why it was her room that became the room they hold their trophies, their memories in. Obviously she was someone important. Especially since she was the previous owner of the Last Word. Was she his friend? Family? His lover?"

Tir glanced past her, noticing that Odin had silently landed in the window, and heard her words. She had to be careful what she said in response.

"And another thing Tir. Before you lie to me, I've seen the video of the two of them fighting together, I saw how he held her in his arms. Though I'm confused as to why her armor wasn't taken back like the others, and put in her room to join them."

Odin's voice filled the silence that Tir couldn't. "Because her body was never found. When we went back, and we murdered our way through the Fallen, her body wasn't where it had been left. I wasn't allowed to go looking for her since I had barely been cleared for duty, and no one could have been at my side to help the search."

Luna had gone ram-rod stiff, forced to hold her breath at the realization that Odin had heard it all. Words eluded her, and she watched Odin slowly tilt his head back until he was looking at the ceiling. "Can't even remember what I came here for. I'll head out then." Off he went, back out the window, and Tir leaned back in her seat with her book opening so she could look back down at it. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Luna rush for the window.

_Wonder how she'll apologize to him._

Oh well, it wasn't any of her business what the girl did.

 


	44. Last Day of Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz is enjoying their last day of vacation, before they return to the fields and get back into the groove of things. How have things turned out for them all?

The week had gone by in a flash, most of the Fireteam busy with their respective plans, and Luna hadn't seen Odin since he'd left Tir's a few nights prior; she'd given chase in her ship, tried raising him on the comms, but he'd vanished like a ghost! Unable to find him, or his trail, she'd returned to the Tower and waited for him there.

And here she was, five days later. Still no Odin.

_Did I upset him that much? Make him hate me?_

She had no way of knowing even when the rest of the Fireteam began to gather for a meal. It was the last day of vacation, so they figured why not meet for a meal since they had no idea exactly when their next moment of downtime would be.

Dan had just come back from Mercury, and Luna saw him move towards Bianca the moment he walked in. He held a journal in his hand that looked faded and worn, and watched Bianca's face light up with the brightest smile she'd ever seen. "She finally wrote back?" Dan silently nodded, a similar smile on his own face. "She did. Told me it took her so long because she couldn't figure out exactly what to say."

Bianca pressed her lips to the journal. "Thank you so much Dan, this means far too much to me. I'll give it back before you go out to the Forge again, I promise!"

"No rush, got plenty of time to think over what you want to write back to her."

The door to the apartment slid open to let in Odin, who was carrying a sizable container, one the size of the crates she saw down in the Hangar for supplies or tools. Setting it down on the coffee table before removing his helmet, Odin opened it up and the familiar smells of their favorite noodle stall wafted to their noses. "I figured we'd be getting together for a meal, like a big ol' family, so I took the liberty of stopping by and seeing if they didn't mind whipping up a couple of bowls."

They all gathered around at the coffee table, drinks already in hand, but Odin went into the kitchen to get his own, and Luna followed right behind him.

_I have to apologize._

"Odin, about the other night, I-"

"Don't worry about it. I had a moment, it happens sometimes."

"I still want to apologize. I shouldn't have been prying, but I just...wanted to know."

The Hunter slowly turned to face her, his face blank but his eye full of some emotion. "Tell me, what would you have done with the information."

_Searched for her, learned what kind of woman could have captured your heart._

"I would have searched for her in the Vanguard's records."

There was a glimmer in his eye, as if he knew her thoughts. "I see. Surprised you didn't go to Cayde and ask him about her then, he'd have probably been able to tell you. The man never was one to let something about Hunters slip by him."

_I hadn't even thought about that._

"It slipped my mind that he might know. I was too focused on your journal, and the woman in it. Who was she to you?"

The question had slipped out before she even thought about it, and even Odin seemed surprised by it. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts, but he crossed his arms and stared at the ceiling. "A woman I had feelings for. A good woman, and a good Hunter. I know that she had her own feelings towards me, that's why I was the one given the Last Word in her Will, though I doubt I would have parted with it anyway given the fact I had to use it in combat the moment she fell."

A pause in his sentence made her realize he had a faint smile on his face. "We were nothing like the Warlocks in our Fireteam; we didn't just outright state our feelings, the love we may or may not have had." The smile fell moments later. "Not that it matters, she's gone now. Her body was never recovered, nor was her Ghost, so I can only assume they were both destroyed."

Silence filled the kitchen, only the faint sounds of conversation from the other room filling it. Just as she prepared to open her mouth, Odin beat her to it. "You'll hear about her eventually, I'm sure. Until then, I'm sorry but I don't want to talk about her. Better to leave her in my past Luna. Focus on the present and the future." Offering her a smile, he motioned to the other room as he grabbed a drink. "Come on, before they eat without us."

It was a few seconds even after they sat down for Luna to felt calm; she'd felt bad for what she'd said, but Odin truly did forgive her for it. So, she set it aside because of his own words.

_I'll hear about her. Through the journal, or through others. Maybe even Cayde, if it comes up in conversation._

The bowls were pulled from the container and given out to each of them. To her surprise, they were all their own personal favorites! Hersh glanced up to ask Odin how he knew, but he beat him to it as he began to mix some spices into his bowl. "I'm a Hunter, I'm supposed to notice everything, even little things like favorite foods."

Conversation stopped as they all stuffed their faces, only chatting every so often when a thought crossed their minds, otherwise it was slurps and the clinking of utensils on the bowls filling the air, that warmth returning to Luna just like it had not so long ago.

_A big happy family, that would defend one another and fight whatever came to our door_

All that was missing, was Matthew, but she knew that Johnathon was spending some quality time with him, supposedly taking him up on the walls where the guards patrolled, so he could see the view, and know how important it all was.

Food consumed, they all relaxed and enjoyed the comfort of each other's presence.

At least at first, until a knock on the door forced Odin, the closest, to get up and open it to find Cayde standing there!

"We've got a problem."

Odin's eyebrows rose and he realized that Cayde's lights had dimmed as if...nervous. "What kind of problem?"

Luna felt her heart stop at Cayde's words.

"Matthew was taken."


	45. A Hostage Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew's been taken, but by who? Odin and Luna set out to find him

Luna had frozen up at Cayde's words, it had taken Bianca wrapping her arm around her shoulders to snap her out of it. All eyes were on her except for two; Cayde wouldn't look at her, and Odin's back was still facing her. Guilt was written across his face in the way his lights were dimmed, knowing that Matthew was supposed to be protected on the walls, by the Guardians, and they had failed to do their one job. "Tell me what happened." Now it was all eyes on Odin.

"Jonathon was found trying to leap over the wall, screaming something about Matthew being taken. No idea who or what took him, but they snatched him from Jonathon's side. The only reason he turned and saw him go, was because Matthew had yelled out in surprise. We already have Guardians scouring the immediate area, some of my Hunters are looking for tracks, but-"

"Call them back."

Odin's words surprised Luna, but Cayde's lights brightened in that moment. "Do you plan to look yourself?"

"I do. Too many Guardians searching will ruin any tracks you might find. Tell them to pull back, and any Hunters that you have are to hold position and keep silent until we get there. They might have found something."

_We?_

"Luna, with me."

She was at his side in a heartbeat, following him out to the Tower Plaza. "Get in my ship, with me." It hovered close enough for the two to hop onto the ramp, and then Artic was flying it for them. Luna could feel her heart pounding, emotions boiling inside of her. Odin's voice helped calm them for a moment when he dropped the ramp again after a minute of flying. "You stick right beside me the entire time, don't move from the path I take; any tracks can get ruined if you step on them, and we'll never find Matthew."

"Right behind you."

The words were dead even to her, but Odin made no comment as they landed just at the base of the wall, the Wilds stretching before them. A single Hunter was waiting for them, an Exo with a melodic voice, and what looked to be guilt on her face, looking just as Cayde had. "I was on the wall with him when he got taken. I couldn't see what it was, but I found tracks just a few feet ahead of us. Didn't get to follow the trail before Cayde ordered us to stand down."

Odin nodded, mumbling a thank you and something about backup; Luna was already lost in her own mind, scared about Matthew now that they were out in the Wilds once more.

On instinct, she followed him when he made his way towards the tracks that the Exo had mentioned. "If things get bad, she'll come in after us once she's informed the Vanguard. For now, we're on our own." Knowing he'd get no response, Odin motioned for her to lower into a crouch as he did the same. "Here they are." To her they looked shapeless, like they'd been altered, but Odin let out a faint hum.

Suddenly he moved forward, keeping low to the ground to keep his eyes on them. Honestly, she didn't know how long they moved together like that, but by the time Odin came to a stop her back and haunches were aching, burning from staying so low. Up ahead was the remains of a Fallen Ketch, one that looked to be reclaimed by nature it had sat for so long.

"Fuck."

Her eyes watched Odin grip at the scarf on his neck before cursing again, motioning for her to step closer. "We've got a problem. The Fallen here are remnants from a House that was destroyed during the Battle of Six Fronts. They aren't openly against us, but there's no way they'll just let us walk in and get Matthew."

The moment he finished speaking, there was a faint explosion from inside the Ketch, and an even louder curse from him. "And that sounds like in-fighting. Or a raid by other Fallen. Damn. Damn, damn, damn!" Drawing the Ace of Spades, he stood up and motioned for her to follow him. "We can't waste any time then. If it's in-fighting, it might be over Matthew. If it's a raid, we can't guarantee he's safe."

Wasting no time, Odin sprinted for the Ketch with Luna hot on his heels and Thorn in her hands. The first room, the cargo bay, was a slaughterhouse; Fallen were firing on one another with no regards for the crates of supplies held in the room, but just as Luna went to fire on the closest Fallen, Odin stopped her and yelled out something in their own tongue. Whatever response he got back seemed to loosen some of the tension in his shoulders.

"Remember the Fallen from the Tower I was at before? They're the ones raiding. The Kell isn't here, which means the enemy Kell is probably busy in battle with them. That's good." Pointing out the fact that the Fallen Odin had spoken with bore no colors or flags on them, he shot the closest one that did and kicked them away. "If you see color, end them. And if you shoot a friendly, just apologize and pray you didn't kill them."

The two pushed their way deeper into the Ketch, most of the Fallen enemies too busy with the raiders to bother with them. At least until they made it into the halls. Reinforcements, inbound to the cargo bay, were caught by the two Guardians, Ace of Spades exploding a handful with Solar energy, and Thorn piercing through one, into another, and another.

As the Fallen fell before them, they could hear the sounds of fighting coming from up ahead. "The throne room is going to be a battleground it seems." The door slid open to reveal the Kell that had helped them during the Festival, and let them go at the Tower! They were curled up around something behind cover, as their Dregs and Vandals were slaughtered by the enemy Kell.

Shouting out in their tongue once more, Odin slid behind cover and Luna ended up right behind him as he checked the Kell for wounds, revealing that they were curled up around Matthew, he was sporting a few bruises but overall was safe!

_Why would they protect him?_

They were sporting a few wounds, most of them on their back as if they'd been shielding someone, which Odin proved to her as he uttered another curse. "Luna, you've got a Kell to thank. It looks like she took a few bullets for your brother."

_She? How do you tell the difference between a Male Fallen, and a Female?_

Poking his head over their cover, he ducked to narrowly avoid a shot from a Wire Rifle. "The Kell finished taking out the others. It's just us now." The Last Word was drawn alongside the Ace of Spades this time, and Odin took a deep breath. "Luna, stay right here."

As he stepped into view of the enemy Kell, Luna heard him call out. "Hey, dumbass!"

The Kell turned his sights on the exposed Guardian, who raised both Hand Cannons. Something was shouted to the Kell, in that damn language, but whatever it was clearly pissed off the Kell. They got a shot off at Odin, but it was easily dodged before Solar coursed down his arms.

Luna watched a calm come over the Hunter.

_They once said that he wouldn't use his abilities unless necessary, but all of that has changed since I became a Guardian. There's been so much chaos, so many enemies stronger than he's faced before, that he and the others have had to use their abilities for when they're so used to saving them for emergencies._

The Kell was knocked back by the shots fired; both Hand Cannons were emptied in a span of a few seconds, to be reloaded and emptied a second time each, the Kell's armor shattering and pieces flying off for each step back it took. When it collapsed, she expected Odin to finish it off, but he barked out something that the Kell weakly responded to.

He just stepped away.

The Solar vanished, and he turned his back on the enemy lying on the floor.

"Damn fools wanted to use him as leverage, probably get some kind of supplies or something out of the City. Come on, let's check on the Kell and Matthew."

Anger boiled up inside of Luna at the realization that he was going to leave their opponent alive.

Drawing Thorn, she fired a shot into the Kell's leg! Odin grabbed the barrel of it and shoved it towards the floor. "What the hell are you doing!"

In her haze of anger, she shoved him backwards and pointed Thorn back at the Kell. "They took my brother, to use as a pawn, and you're going to leave him alive?! BULLSHIT!"

"Killing him just means someone else will take over, come for more. If he stays alive then he'll be too scared to pull something like this again."

_Fuck that!_

She went to pull the trigger, but Odin pushed down the barrel again. This time she exploded at him, shoving him against the same cover they'd been using to hide from the Kell. "You don't tell me what to do! My brother was taken by these assholes, hurt by them, I'm getting payback!" They bickered back and forth for what felt like hours, but she knew it was barely even a few minutes, but without warning she saw him lunge for her, feeling something impact his body.

Spinning, he drew the Last Word and emptied the gun into the Kell, killing her and dropping the Wire Rifle from its hand. A hole had blossomed in his back, right where his kidney would be, and he cursed under his breath as he stumbled over and slid to the floor by the same cover she'd pushed him against.

Rage turned into guilt as she realized what had happened.

_I let my anger get the best of me, and blew the whole situation he'd fought for. And then yelled, got him shot._

Words couldn't form even when the wounded Kell finally woke, and lumbered over to them with Matthew offered to Luna to take onto her back in a piggyback ride. The Kell gingerly pulled Odin onto his feet, and he mumbled something to them before they began moving back towards the cargo hold, Luna following from behind. The enemies had all been wiped out, and by the time they reached the remaining friendlies, Odin could stand on his own two feet.

He mumbled something else to the Kell at his side before strolling over to Luna. "Take Matthew back to the Tower, I'll be right behind you. Have to help them with something, as thanks for her protecting Matthew from the other Kell. Says she remembered seeing him with us, didn't want us to lose him."

His voice was void of any emotion, as if he was tired, or perhaps even angry.

"I'll come back when I get him to the Tower, and-"

"Don't worry about it. We'll be done soon, and I'll be back at the Tower a little while after that."

He ushered her outside so she could summon in her ship while he turned back to the Fallen. The last she saw, before she entered her ship, was the hole in his armor where the shot he took for her had struck.

_I fucked up._


	46. Fallen Movement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time has passed since Oryx's defeat, and the Vanguard sends Fireteam Kronyz out into Tir's territory for an interesting mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is everyone! This chapter marks the beginning of the end; Rise of Iron, which means once it's been covered, I'll be starting up the next story; the next exciting addition to the Fireteam Kronyz saga, Destiny 2! (And boy, Dan's creator is still laughing about the fact I named the Fireteam that, when that's the name of our Destiny 2 clan, but hey, it works!) I hope you all have enjoyed the ride so far, and will enjoy the rest of this story. But, don't worry! I've still got quite a few chapters left in this one, so don't panic and think this is the end!

In the weeks after Matthew had been safely returned, Luna spent all of her free time with him; he was still shaken up of course, but he wasn't traumatized in the slightest. It made her proud to see her little brother, so strong and courageous. Especially when he was compared to her, given how she was still treading on eggshells around Odin and causing all sorts of problems for him.

Speaking of the Hunter; true to his word, he'd returned to the Tower not too long after her without a word about what he had been doing for the Fallen Kell that had saved Matthew. He  _did_ however, mention that he would be going out into the Wilds often to do some work of his own. Between him being out in the WIlds, and Dan off to Mercury for business with the Sunbreakers, and Bianca in the medical wing all the time, Luna was typically left to her own devices.

Every few days she would go out with Hersh and Rayn to do their own patrols, or the occasional mission to scout out an area for the Vanguard, or kill Fallen, or even Hive at times. So, it came to a shock that the Vanguard had called the three of them up to the Hall for a mission, one that they discovered was requested by someone they had never heard of before.

Lord Saladin Forge, a Titan, but most importantly an Iron Lord.

The name had no meaning for the trio, until Zavala revealed to them that the Iron Lords were those who had been the first true defenders of the world, and that they had also done battle with many an evil force, including one that left Saladin as the last of them. The Fallen were now approaching his territory, and was worried that something was wrong. Thus, they were on their way into Tir's domain, with a new name for the area.

_The Plaguelands_

It was good to finally have something to call it, and somehow it felt right, fitting.

They passed her building as they flew into the Plaguelands, and in the distance they saw the mountain they were supposed to be landing. Fallen Skiffs fired at them, forcing them to send their ships down and to bail while their ships, remotely controlled by their Ghosts, flew off and vanished. It gave the Fallen the illusion that they had retreated instead of continuing on.

A crackle started over their comms, and a voice Luna didn't recognize spoke. "A group of Fallen have captured Felwinter Peak. My team and I are en route, but we won't make it there in time. I need you to secure the Observatory at the top."

The voice reminded her of how Odin's voice felt when she first met him, a rumble that she could feel in her bones.

_Not even in person, and he commands respect when I haven't met him._

"It is imperative that the Fallen do not gain a foothold on that mountain."

Rayn moved ahead of them, scouting out the area as they trekked up the path before them. Hersh readied his Auto Rifle, pulling back the bolt just before Rayn's voice whispered in their comms. "Fallen! A handful of Shanks, some Dregs, one or two Vandals. We make it through them and there's a station up ahead my Ghost says we can use to make it higher up the mountain."

Thanks to Rayn, they caught the Fallen completely unaware. It was a one sided firefight, with the Fallen's corpses sliding off the mountainside in a matter of seconds. The snow made it difficult at first to maneuver up the slopes, but by the time they got to the station Rayn spoke of, they'd grown used to it. The cart, suspended on wires, looked ready to collapse on them when the trio piled inside, but Rayn's Ghost got it running for them.

Hersh peered out the window, but they could barely see part of the observatory. "Why do you think this place is so important?"

Luna's mind ran wild with thoughts. "It could be for a multitude of reasons. It might have something worthwhile there, or maybe it's in a perfect scouting position."

_Or maybe they're hiding some secret here_

Fallen rose on the hills on either side of them, forcing them into cover to keep from being sniped. Unfortunately, there was nothing protecting the cart itself, and soon they could hear the metal being torn off in chunks from the amount of firepower. Out the corner of her eye, she could see a slope on her side of the cart, just as nearly half the cart was torn free!

"Quick, jump!"

Luna dove out of the cart, Rayn leaping out after her, and Hersh jumping backwards as he fired at the Fallen to keep their heads down. They slid down until the ground flattened, and pushed through the snow to head for their target. Fallen crawled down from the surrounding rocks, but between the three of them they managed to either kill them or drive them off, for now.

Finally they reached the outermost area of the observatory, letting Hersh sprint forth when a handful of Skiffs dropped off troops that fell under the might of his fists, Arc spreading outwards and killing the whole group in one go!

_It will never cease to amaze me, the level of destruction that Arc can produce._

A strange droning noise sent a shudder through her, as from ahead of them appeared a massive Servitor; she had rarely seen one, but this had to be the even more elusive kind; a Prime, and yet it had some kind of strange attachment to it, like a growth. A heartbeat later, her Ghost identified it as Septiks Prime, the thought to be destroyed Prime Servitor of the House of Devils!

Her body stopped short for the briefest moments.

This was the Servitor whose death inspired the Fallen to assault the City.

Whose death led to her own.

For a single heartbeat it was like a hole had been punched through her lung all over again, but a familiar voice snapped her out of it.

"Time for round two!"

Dan's ship came flying overhead, the ramp lowered. Odin sat on the edge of the ramp, a strap keeping him held in place. His Sniper Rifle fired almost non-stop, the Rookies watching the rounds impact on Sepiks until his attention was drawn away.

"Get to the high ground, Dan and I will distract him as long as we can!" The ship swerved hard to the right to avoid a blast, and Odin's gun nearly flew from his hands.

"Keep it steady!"

"You don't like my war-driving, you come take the wheel yourself!"

Their bickering was nothing but white noise after a while, the large doors in front of them already opened from what looked like an explosion, but luckily the bridge across the gap was still intact. What sat before them wasn't an observatory, but a large temple, its intricate steps leading up to a pair of doors with a symbol on it that Luna had seen in one of the books at Tir's; two gauntleted fists clutching an axe. It had to be the symbol of the Iron Lords.

The Fallen were on them the moment they ascended the steps, firing on them from all directions. Rayn immediately lit up with Solar, firing off three shots that took out a handful of opponents before she ducked down and Luna took over, throwing her javelins without a second thought.

Outside of the Crucible, they were almost limitless, so long as she had the energy to burn, but too many meant she'd be too drained to fight, so she settled with the six that Shaxx had limited her to. It brought down a few Fallen, but Sepiks appeared before them to fire on the temple doors. They could feel them shaking even down the stairs a ways. From above roared Dan's ship again, but this time it was Dan strapped to the ramp, the Nova Mortis raised to his shoulder.

With a sharp whistle to get Sepiks' attention, Dan open fired on its form without hesitation, bullet casings raining down on the Rookies as Odin piloted the ship in a precise circle above them, keeping Dan pointed to the floating orb at all times.

"Combine your firepower with Dan's! I can't keep circling much longer before he runs out of ammo!"

They all turned their guns on it and fired. It didn't take much more before Sepiks released a screech and exploded! Vanishing before their eyes, they watched another ship come flying up, a Titan dropping onto his feet and firing two quick bursts that killed the Fallen sneaking up behind them. 

"Even old wolves still bite."

_Saladin Forge, last of the Iron Lords_

Lost in thought, she barely realized Saladin was stepping past them. "Good job Guardians, the temple is safe. Now, we can-"

A drone cut them off, a drone that shouldn't have been heard.

Sepiks was floating away from them, offering one last glance before it disappeared!

Saladin began to bark orders, something about Siva, and following Sepiks, but stopped when Dan and Odin dropped in front of the temple steps.

Luna thought he would thank them for the support, but instead of a happy thanks, his voice was more akin to a growl.

"You two have a lot of nerve coming here."

_Oh no_


	47. What Could Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna learns a little more about Dan and Odin, and their relationship with Lord Saladin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, sorry about the late update everyone! I got sucked into Destiny 2's Warmind Expansion, and before I knew it I had missed my deadline! Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

Saladin stormed towards the two Veterans so quickly that Luna felt the urge to throw herself between them. The two stood tall as he approached them, even though she just knew he was going to tear their heads off.

And yet, he surprised her by clasping forearms with them both and laughing so loud she thought it'd bring an avalanche down upon them. "I thought the two of you had bit the dust! I haven't seen you since the Battle of the Gap Odin, and Dan since before that!" When his arms dropped to his sides, the three all popped their helmets as a whole, smiles shared between them all.

Saladin seemed shocked that Odin was blind in one eye, but didn't comment on it.

"You're one to talk old man, you haven't spoken to any of us since you descended into this hellhole of a battleground. I mean, Odin and I have seen you on the Tower once or twice for Iron Banner, but I doubt you would have recognized us as easily in the crowds."

Saladin nodded along, motioning to the Temple when he spoke. "If not for hearing you over the channels, and seeing you two firing on Sepiks, I wouldn't have recognized you now. I'm happy to see you two still causing trouble."

At this point, he turned and faced the trio of Rookies, Luna instinctively straightening herself when his gaze landed on her. "And even training the next Generation of Wolves I see? Hard to believe that the Hammer of Mars and the Wolf of the Reef are teachers now." A grin had split his face when he spoke, and Luna didn't understand why until Dan and Odin groaned.

Dan looked ready to shoot someone. "Who the hell even gave us those names, Jolder?"

Odin shook his head, tapping his wrist like it meant something. "I think it was Felwinter. He always enjoyed getting a laugh at our expense."

Saladin must have sensed the confusion among the trio, and took it upon himself to explain even though Dan and Odin seemed ready to gun him down.

"Years back, so long ago that few even remember it I'm sure, these two were asked to join the Iron Lords. They declined, and instead of becoming Lords, were dubbed the Hammer of Mars, for the famous Warhammer Dan created to use in combat, and the Wolf of the Reef, for the way Odin used to do battle."

Thoughts flashed through Luna's mind, of the way he lashed out on the Reef, like an animal.

_It explains a lot_

Ships broke their focus, flying around to drop off Guardians left and right, who began moving supplies and lighting the bonfires littering the Temple grounds. Saladin stepped aside to begin coordinating their efforts, and left the five of them to group together as the Veterans pushed open the Temple doors. "Come on, let's pay our respects and get out of here."

Luna was in awe of the massive statues lining the room they entered into; stoic guardians of the Temple, each held some kind of weapon in their hands, and rose to meet the ceilings.

"These are eight of the Iron Lords. The most famous of them all; it's not my place, or Dan's, to speak of them in this place, but Saladin would be more than happy to talk of them, and their deeds together." Odin stood in the center of the room, looking from one statue to the next while he spoke. As he stepped back, there was a staccato that reached their ears; footsteps on the stone. Wolves rushed into the room, heading for the Veterans!

Laughing, Odin crouched and stroked their heads one after the other, while Dan gave simple pats and dissuaded them from jumping up onto him.

Hersh scooted closer to Dan with the intent to pet one, but it moved away from his outstretched hand. "Heh, they're not the friendliest to new people. But, looks like these must have been pups when we last saw them. Hard to tell them all apart honestly."

Standing up before the wolves could knock him over, Odin cursed. "I just realized that we'll probably be working out of the Plaguelands for a while. It'll be easier, and much faster, if we stayed closer than the Tower."

Luna wasn't following, though Dan clearly was. "Oh boy, really? You realize you'll probably end up camping outside right?"

"Yeah, but it'll be closer than my room in the Tower. I just hope she doesn't shoot me."

_Is he planning to ask Tir to let us use her home as a base?_

That indeed was the plan, as Odin was the one to lead them towards her place. They let Odin be the first to land in her window, faintly able to see him standing there in it while he spoke with her. Whatever he said seemed to get her to agree; he made gestures to indicate that they could land alongside of him. Dan went next, then Luna, then Hersh, and finally Rayn.

Tir didn't look up from the book she was reading as they entered one by one. "The floor below us has plenty of room for the four of you to stay."

_Four?_ Luna glanced to Odin. "The four of us?"

"Yes, Odin gets his usual spot. A nice little tent I so generously gifted to him, should still be mostly unscathed down on the ground floor."

"I saw it last time I was here, so I know it's still worthy of sleeping in. Either way, thanks for letting the rest of us stay here. It'll be good to be able to respond quickly to the orders of the Vanguard, or Saladin really."

"You owe me big for this one Mutt."

Odin waved away her words like he just didn't care, taking the two Rookies down a floor with Dan, so that Luna could stay there with Tir for a moment. "So, you apologized to him, hm?"

"Of course I did, after saying such things-"

"You mean after saying them in front of him."

Silence hung between the two, but Tir broke it first. "You don't regret saying it, you simply regret saying it in front of him."

Embers burned within Luna's stomach at those words; she was right, and it only made her guilt weigh on her shoulders once again.

__Shaking her head at the younger Warlock, Tir turned her head back to her book. "Well, whatever. One way or another, you'll reach the end of those feelings. Whether or not he'll return them, is a whole 'nother problem for you."

_We'll see about that, Tir_


	48. A Wake Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna finds out an interesting piece of information about Tir and Odin, one that not even his journal had mentioned.

Luna, at some point last night, had gone downstairs to speak with the others and ended up falling asleep in one of the spare beds. Odin was the one to wake her up in the morning, when he threw open the door and sent water droplets flying through the air at them. It seemed he actually had stayed in whatever tent he was told to use last night, as snow had clung to him and melted on his trip up the stairs.

"Rise and shine beauties! We've got two missions from Saladin, and so we're gonna get ourselves some breakfast before flying out. I'm off to go wake up Tir!"

As the four of them woke up, gathering what items they needed, they heard the distinct sound of the Invective firing! Rushing into the stairwell, they barely avoided Odin's body flying past them to impact the wall. He only just dropped to the floor, and already his arms were lifting to cover his helmet.

"Not the face, not the face!"

A second shot impacted his chest, causing him to drop his arms to cradle the probably bruised ribs before the third shot struck his helmet. Not hard enough to damage it, but snap his head back against the wall.

Eyes went to the top of the stairs, where Tir was standing with the Invective in her hands. Luna was surprised to find her wearing only her helmet in terms of armor; the rest of her body was clothed in boxers and a tank top. It was the first time she'd ever seen her without her Warlock robes, and was surprised to see that she was a Human like her!

"That's what you get for barging in while I was getting dressed."

Hersh's snorting laughter echoed through the stairwell. "It's not like it's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"He hasn't, actually. He's only seen me out of my armor once, and that was to treat my wounds."

All eyes went back to Tir, minus Dan who was busy helping Odin back up to his feet.

_He's never seen her out of armor more than to dress her wounds? Then...That means their relationship couldn't be more than just friends, right?_

Hope blossomed inside of her chest, followed by the guilt she always felt when it came down to it. There was just something wrong with the way it made her happy that he was alone, or not attached to others. No matter what, she pushed down the feelings so she could focus on what was going on.

"Yeah, well, next time you should lock the door!"

Odin dodged the next shot, slipping down a flight of stairs to keep himself from getting hurt even further, with Tir calling out after him. "Next time you should knock first, pervert!"

As she stepped back into her room to finish gathering her armor, Odin came back up the stairs to the sound of an explosion, one that shook the floor beneath them.

Dan rushed back into their room and peered out the window. A curse rang out that Odin copied, along with Tir when she stuck her head out the door. "The Fallen are here! They want another piece of us!"

The Veterans rushed in two directions; Tir went for her spot to conduct the storm, but Dan and Odin rushed for the window. Just like when the Fallen had assaulted the City, the two jumped without a second thought and fell to the ground below. This time, the Rookies were right behind them, using their various abilities to slow themselves before they impacted the ground.

They fired without hesitation in their movements, to take down as many Fallen in the few seconds it took for them to realize the Guardians had come out to them. Even when they moved to retaliate, the storm unleashed its power upon them thanks to the way Tir guided each lightning bolt into the most populated areas, blasting Fallen left and right to pieces.

A Walker appeared out of the snow, but they all realized something; the Walker, and the Fallen they were fighting, had the same strange things attached to them that Sepiks did, some weird growth on them, technology spliced into them that none of them recognized. 

Dan waved for Hersh to rush forward. The younger Titan would use his Fist of Havoc to pulverize the first group in front of them, followed by Luna throwing her javelins when he threw out his other arm, the two clearing a space for Dan to light up in. The hammers were plentiful, launching out in arcs of Solar that turned the enemy to ash that fell just like the snow did.

With Dan as the vanguard in their fight, it left Rayn to fire the few shots she could manage to keep the Fallen off of his back, though when Odin took over that job it was an endless amount of Solar flashing from them both.

_Don't hold back against an unknown force, especially one that has proven they can bring back the dead. If they can bring back a Prime Servitor, what else can they bring back?_

The Walker fell beneath the hammers, crumpling in on itself until it was just a slag of molten metal that would begin to cool beneath the falling snow. With the infantry retreating, Dan let his Solar energy dissipate, Odin following suite while he lifted Artic. "Send word to Saladin, let him know we've got Fallen leaving the area. Maybe his scouts can track them back to whatever base they're using."

Luna glanced up to the faintly noticeable figure of Tir standing in the window, and couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face.

_It's not that kind of relationship..._

 


	49. The World Outside The Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz tries their best to figure out what just happened, with Saladin offering little in the way of explanation while he orders Guardians across the lands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updating, my laptop has been on the fritz when it comes to Google Drive, which I use to compile all of my notes and writing, so I've been trying to figure that out. As a warning, we've only got about three more chapters until the thrilling conclusion! Be on the look out for those chapters, and then the sequel that I'll be creating, to follow Fireteam Kronyz through the events of Destiny 2! For now, enjoy this chapter!

Luna used her foot to brush aside the remains of a Fallen she'd taken down, analyzing the strange machinery attached to it. It was almost like it had been alive, and still held some ember, in the way it shook; like a wounded beast trying to pull itself together. "What in the name of the Traveler is this?"

Tir knelt down to examine it, her silence speaking volumes.  _Even she couldn't identify this strange substance. What did that say of what it could be._

Dan and Odin were conversing with themselves about something, catching snippets of names long since nearly forgotten; Joldur, Felwinter, Iron Lords they had mentioned. Whatever they spoke of was clearly causing their emotions to get the better of them, the way their hands would twitch and shake when making their motions.

The first to speak was Dan "The Iron Lords mentioned something like this, shortly before they descended into the Plaguelands, and lost their lives, but" at this Odin cut in, fingers pressed to his helmet like he was massaging his temple. "But, if so then it should have been destroyed alongside of them. At least, considering that Saladin is alive, it should no longer be able to be used. He wouldn't have come out unscathed if so."

_Perhaps not physically; he's certainly got a few emotional scars on him_

"Saladin's been informed either way. Let's track these Fallen back the way they came, see what we can find out in the Plaguelands. Odin, you start moving, I'll bring the others in behind you. Sound good?"

"Sounds fine to me. I'll see how far I can manage before I lose it or they start shooting; just make sure to hurry."

Odin took off on foot in a jog, letting Dan turn and begin checking over his guns. "Hersh, I want you to be the rear guard got it? Keep an eye on our six, making sure nothing ambushes us from behind. I'll be in front, following our scout and take the brunt of whatever hits us. Rayn, you and Luna are our radar. If anything moves around us, either take it out or pass it on. Everyone understand?"

When they all gave nods, he spun and took off after Odin so that the others had to move into their positions to make sure they kept pace with the taller Titan, his long strides keeping him going strong.

Whatever trail of Odin's that he was following, it led them closer to the Wall surrounding the City, and Dan stopped short when his voice crackled across the radio. "Something fucking tore through the wall like it was made out of paper...but, the trail leads elsewhere. A Ketch outside the Wall, just...just sitting there. It's operable, but there's no real guards, nothing. Like they just sat down and want to be raided."

"Hold position, we'll be coming up behind you in a few minutes and we'll take a look at the Ketch together."

Though he had said as much, the sight of the Wall was far more shocking than the image in their head had been. It looked like something had used a laser to carve a path through the Wall, but Odin was crouching behind a ruined vehicle speaking to Saladin through Artic.

"I'd recommend moving Guardians through the big-ass hole next to us; whatever this Ketch is up to, it needs to be stopped now. The firepower onboard that ship will easily make this hole bigger, then Fallen will move through in whole groups, whole armies."

Saladin's response must have been agreement, because he didn't say anything else and simply lowered Artic. Ahead of them was the Ketch that had touched down, the bay door was opened wide but there was no sign of Fallen; no guards on patrol, no one moving around in sight, not even any trace of a Fallen. Rayn lowered to her stomach and brought out her Sniper Rifle, using the scope to recon the bay, but she shook her head. "I'm not seeing anything."

Dan knelt next to Odin and the two used knives to scratch a rough sketch of the Ketch and what the cargo bay would look like, whispering plans back and forth to one another until Dan motioned for them to join in.

"We're going to go for it. See what we can find out, or at the very least wipe a few Fallen off the map before blowing the Ketch all to hell."

That was all they spoke of before the five of them rushed across the open ground to the cargo bay, coming inside to find nothing but an empty room. Not even any supplies were sitting inside it. It was like the Ketch had been emptied out and left behind as an empty shell. Or, so they believed.

Ahead of them they stumbled across the remains of a battle; Fallen were scattered in the halls, but oddly enough there were no signs of Guardians coming through. Fallen, both Spliced and otherwise, littered the path before them. From the looks of things, they'd been fighting one another!

A survivor was sitting with its back to the door leading into the throne room, which looked as if it had been sealed, and Odin knelt down to question it in its own tongue when it didn't even bother lifting its gun at them. A few tense heartbeats passed before the Fallen went limp. It had finally died.

"He said that the Devil Splicers, as they're calling themselves it seems, came to them with an offer to make them better than their old selves. Using Sepiks Prime as an example; Sepiks Perfected, brought back to life by some kind of creation, SIVA. The remnants of the House of Devils is trying to bring together everyone they can, and those that decide to reject the offer end up like the Fallen in this Ketch."

Dan's breath left in a silent curse. "They're building an army, to try and take the City like all those years ago."

Saladin's voice broke through their comms. "We're taking this fight to them first. Go after Sepiks, finish the job. Meanwhile I'm sending another Fireteam to do what must be done. Afterwards, we'll strike them at the root of this problem and finish them off. Saladin out."

In the silence that remained, Luna stared at the Fallen who had spoken to them.

_War is coming again. Will we make it in time?_


	50. Fall Of A Machine God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sepiks Perfected is hunted down in the very same place he fell once before, and this time Fireteam Kronyz is looking to make sure he stays down!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go everyone, just two more chapters to go! As a fair warning, I won't be doing the Raid introduced in Rise of Iron, because of something you'll be seeing in the next chapter, so my deepest apologies if I disappoint anyone; I'll make it up to you in the next one!

Luna had only ever heard about the place the House of Devils had used as a base of operations, only ever heard the story of how Fireteam Kronyz had taken the fight to them and brought down Sepiks Prime, how they'd destroyed him to bring the fall of the Devils. To see the ruins of it with her own eyes was...satisfying to say the least. They landed, all of them; Dan, Hersh, Luna, Rayn, and Odin, in a snowy area of the complex, just before the building. A Splicer Walker was the guardian of the doorway, the two Veterans getting a sense of deja vu from it.

The only difference, was that the Hive were here, trying to break through the front doors. Saladin had mentioned on their flight over, that the Devil Splicers had been kidnapping Hive and experimenting on them. It seemed they were bent on revenge, but they had limited numbers and the Walker had blasted through most of them, though it too had taken heavy damage from the attacks.

Dan brought up the Nova Mortis, keeping the barrel of the weapon resting on the cover he was using so that he could keep it steady for when he unloaded on both the Hive and the Walker. "Odin, take Hersh and push forward. Rayn, Luna, and I will thin the herd."

"Can do. Come on Hersh, show me what a Striker can do."

The Titan rushed forward into the settling clouds of Hive Ash, Arc shooting forth when he lunged and brought both fists down upon the ground in front of him. The resulting shockwave wiped out a line of Thralls to give Odin a clear line of sight for the bullets he fired in rapid succession; he emptied the Last Word three times total, as the Nova Mortis took down the Hive that turned to him, into the leg of the Walker, bringing it down.

It was when the Walker lowered and its shell opened to reveal its core that Dan switched from firing on Hive, and fired on it instead. Luna and Rayn concentrated fire on it alongside of him, leaving Hersh to cover Odin's six.

It was a brief, one sided massacre that neither of the forces had expected when they came charging at one another; Guardians, showing up to fight? Who would have known.

In the end it was quick, albeit a little messy, as they marched up to the door leading into the building. It opened to reveal to them a crowd of Fallen that raised their guns, but Dan still held the Nova Mortis in his hands and they stood no chance before the might of the legendary weapon.

_Like bowling pins._

The inside amazed her; it looked to have been ruined at some point, but now there were...totems of some sort, sprinkled through the hall as they made their way up the stairs to the massive doors that held Sepiks. What was shown to them when the door opened, was a scene that disturbed her. Fallen, kneeling in great numbers in the arena, as if they were communing with a god.

_Sepiks Perfected, supposedly a God now that he's been brought back by the power of this SIVA creation. Is he truly that powerful now?_

On cue, the Servitor lifted itself and gazed down at them as the Fallen moved to stand. Fear should have overwhelmed her...yet all she felt was a calmness that brought Thorn from its holster and pointed it to the nearest Fallen, blowing its head clean off!

They broke apart to scatter behind various pieces of cover, Fallen being blasted apart to make room for them to take cover.

They each peeked around their respective cover to lay down suppressive fire on Sepiks, watching the giant orb shudder under the combined firepower, but it roared out and blasted the area surrounding it. Strange growths of what they could only assume was SIVA popped up, sapping their strength! Luna and Odin were the first to react, firing at the ones clustered around them.

To their surprise, only a few were destroyed. Others seemed to be impossible to destroy no matter how many bullets they put into them. Dan motioned for them to follow him, as he dove into an adjoining room where the SIVA hadn't popped up. "Well, I'll give them this much; they made him a hell of a lot tougher. I'll bring out the hammers and try to bring him down."

"The rest of us can keep the Fallen left in the arena off your back." Eyes were drawn to Luna when she spoke, firing off a shot at a Dreg that had been rushing towards their room.

"Agreed. There's stairs in here that lead under the platform, I'll fire up my hammers from there, where the Fallen can't see me. Any that try to ruin the show, blast 'em to pieces."

All at once, they sprinted from the room and all went about their jobs; the Guardians on the platform wiped the Fallen out from existence; bullets, knives, and grenades flying through the air, while Dan's hammers could be seen impacting against Sepiks.

Just when it seemed to be going great, Sepiks screeched and a shield enveloped him! The hammers splashed Solar energy over it but it didn't even faze him, forcing Dan to pull back as Fallen were dropped into the arena by Skiffs that flew in through the massive hole in the roof.

Luna spotted two Captains, carrying strange weaponry on their shoulders, and when she pointed towards them she watched Odin light up with glee. "Scorch cannons! I haven't seen those in ages! They should have the firepower to drop that shield!" 

Urging Hersh to follow suit, he sent him after one Captain while he went after the other. Hersh coated his fist with Arc and slugged the Captain, sending him sideways into the wall, where he could lift his leg and smash his boot into the Fallen's face, killing it and hefting the cannon he dropped. Odin, on the other hand, fired three precise shots from the Last Word, and caught the cannon before it had even hit the ground.

Signaling Hersh to fire first, Odin waited until the shot dropped the shield before he fired his own cannon, the group watching Sepiks reel from the hit. Rayn followed it up with a single round from her Rocket Launcher, with Luna pulling out her own.

_Oru, please support us with your strength_

The first one struck Sepiks and split apart to bombard him with a dozen smaller rockets that detonated on its shell. Before another volley from the two could be loaded, the shield returned! Cursing, Dan appeared behind Luna and knelt at her side in cover. "We'll grab some more cannons; I can see more Skiffs incoming. When we do, you use that to punch a hole in him if you can. Right now, that's the strongest weapon we've got."

"I'll give it everything I've got!"

Dan and Hersh worked together to take out one of the Captains, a combined punch from them both slamming him so hard to the floor that it dented it with its body, leaving Dan to scoop up the cannon. Across the arena, Rayn was clinging to the back of the second one, stabbing her knife into its neck and twisting until the Captain fell to the floor. She took the cannon up onto her shoulder and fired just after Dan, rocking Sepiks back yet again when the shield dropped.

Luna fired, reloaded and fired a second time, both rockets impacting, splitting, and detonating within a heartbeat of one another, cracks starting to appear on Sepiks' shell, ether, their life force, bleeding through the cracks.

As a third shield appeared on him, Luna didn't feel disappointment, but excitement. 

_Sepiks isn't long for this world! Their God shall fall!_

Another pair of Captains appeared, and they fell just as quickly as the last, and this time when they dropped the shield, everyone fired upon Sepiks with everything they had. Solar, Arc, Void; bullets, rockets, energy, they all fought to bring down Sepiks in an endless hellstorm of power, until Sepiks began to spin and screech, exploding all across the arena! Wreckage rained down onto the platform and snow covered ground.

Luna knew even with helmets covering them, that everyone was smiling, happy to have brought him down, because she shared that smile as she brought up her Ghost to call Saladin. "Lord Saladin, we've done it! Sepiks is destroyed!"

His voice crackled to life across the comms, his tone pleased but heavy with some kind of emotion.

"Good work. I'd tell you to rest, Young Wolves, but there's something I must ask of you. Of the Wolf and the Hammer." Odin and Dan's heads snapped around at his words. "I know where SIVA is being produced, and it's currently being shut down by another Guardian. But, I can't ask them to descend into that hellhole. Not into the core of SIVA...where the last of them fell..."

"Odin and I will go into the heart of SIVA. We'll bring it down, and honor their memories."

"Thank you, thank you both so much..."

_I've never heard a Guardian sound so weary_


	51. The Iron Tomb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Odin descend into the Archon's Forge, into Site-6 to defeat SIVA once and for all, with Luna watching their backs. What will they find in the Iron Lord's final resting place?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One down, one to go, enjoy this chapter and prepare yourselves next time for the final chapter!

Dan, Odin, and Luna all landed outside of the large fortress that sat atop the complex housing SIVA; Archon's Forge, it was called, where they slipped inside and began the slow infiltration. Fallen were everywhere, killed during their attempt to flee when SIVA lashed out against its former masters. When Saladin's Guardian had destroyed the reactor powering the place, it had caused a chain reaction that wounded SIVA, but unfortunately wounded beasts were often the most dangerous.

"Only a few of us reached the complex. The worst of Rasputin's defenses had already blanketed the are; Frames, constructs, some things I'd never seen before nor since then. They felt no pain. No fear."

Saladin's voice, the fear in it, chilled Luna to the bone. Especially when Dan and Odin clutched their guns tighter, as if they knew what he spoke of, but Dan answered him. "We've only seen Fallen so far."

Dropping into a makeshift arena, they stepped into the tunnel hidden at the back of the room and descended into darkness.

"Last time his presence was almost physical. I think he was trying to communicate, but we didn't understand."

This time it was Luna, curious of the ancient Warmind she had only ever read about. "How can you be so certain that Rasputin won't try to stop us when we get inside?"

"The Vanguard still believe him to be simply a Warmind, but he hasn't been that for a very long time."

The tunnel lead into the complex itself, rocks and dirt becoming iron and steel, the faintest hum in the air from power coursing through the floor beneath them. They approached a door, shut by the Fallen console next to it and when Luna allowed her Ghost to begin the process of opening it, Fallen came from the very walls around them. In a flash, Thorn was lifted and fired a handful of times, the Last Word flashing in the corner of her eye. The furthest Fallen dropped to the floor, but those closest met the gauntlet-clad fist of Dan, heads snapping back at unnatural angles.

Dan went first through the open door, bullets flying through the air before they could follow after, dead Fallen meeting their eyes. "They're not but a few dozen from the looks of things. Remnants, clinging to the tool when they're the real tool."

"The Replication Chamber is beneath you. Look for a way down."

Luna waved the two Veterans over when she noticed the collapsed section, a slope that looked like it would drop them a dozen meters from their objective. This time, she went first, and Thorn fired off a few shots for the Fallen that met her.

"You are close to SIVA's dark heart, tread carefully now."

So busy was she, gazing over the massive cavern that held the once majestic complex of SIVA, she didn't notice the group of Fallen rushing down the stairs at her. Fumbling for Thorn, she watched one of Odin's Tripwire Grenades soar over her head and land in their midst, the red light flashing once before it detonated and took the whole group with it.

The three of them stood before the blast doors as they opened, peering down a long hallway full of SIVA strands that lay dormant, and Luna swore the Veterans had stopped all movement, even breathing.

_This is the tomb of the Iron Lords, people they once called friends. I can't imagine what's going on in their minds._

"I did what I could to protect their final resting place. But I knew what would happen if someone ever found it. We were touched by the Light. I...I didn't even know those blessed with the Traveler's gift could die..until they did. Find the Replicator and shut it down. That's the only way to stop the flow of SIVA once and for all."

Luna saw Dan clap Odin on the shoulder, as he did the same for him. That was all they needed to push forward into the hallway and to the second set of blast doors, once sealed shut by an explosion, but now open and allowing them into the room that started it all. Into the room that it ended in. And what they found in there, buckled the knees of the Veterans, and only by grabbing the railings did they stop themselves from falling.

_Those...Those are bodies hanging from the ceiling...three of them, but who-_

Dan's voice was thick with emotion when he straightened himself. "Felwinter, Gheleon, and..."

"And Jolder...our friends..."

Odin was crouching where he had been standing, nearly curled in on himself from the emotions coursing through him.

It left Luna to input the self destruct code, but she couldn't get but the first portion of it into the console before SIVA took action. What happened next, would be scarred into her mind for days to come.

Felwinter's body was yanked up by SIVA, the axe that had been in his hand was dropped to the ground in front of Luna.

"No..It can't be!" Saladin sounded like he was scared, shocked, emotions Luna felt within herself when Felwinter's distorted body dropped to its feet and roared at them! Scooping the axe up, Luna swung with all of her might to slice the creature across its torso but it only sent it reeling back, though it gave her the opportunity to escape from its grasp.

Dan let his Shotgun take form in his hands, pumping the slide once before calling out. "Felwinter, if there's anything left of you in there you've got to stop! It's us! Dan, Odin!"

The words didn't make the creature hesitate for even a second as it blasted Odin away, Dan's shotgun impacting its chest shot after shot as Luna turned back around and swung again. The axe was heavy, but with each swing it was lighter than before, as if her body was molding it to be a part of her. Slamming the blade onto the ground, a pillar of fire engulfed it, roars of pain filling the room.

Suddenly the axe broke apart in a flash of Solar energy, and she didn't think twice about summoning her Lightning to sling the bolts at him with everything she had, watching him stumble for every one that hit him, until it fell on its back, lifeless once more.

_I'm so sorry Felwinter..._

She opened her mouth to speak, but the remaining two bodies, Gheleon, Jolder, they too were yanked up into the air and dropped to their feet in front of them. This time when the axe appeared, Dan beat her to it. One hand wielded the axe, and the other his hammer, fending off Gheleon with the support of Luna, who switched targets every few seconds to back him up, and to back Odin up when he took on Jolder.

Even if she couldn't see their faces, she knew that the two of them were torn up inside, fighting shells of their long forgotten comrades.

_We have to hurry to put them to rest._

Dan spun around, backhanding Gheleon across the room and tossed the axe to Odin before he lunged after his target, Jolder being slammed against the wall by the axe. "Stop, the both of you! Remember who you are, the Lords who protected those without power! Jolder, I don't want to have to kill you too!"

Just like with Felwinter, there was no reaction; the people they once were, were long gone and all that was left was the armor being controlled by SIVA. But, it didn't make it any easier to bring the two of them down. Jolder went first, fire burning her until the beast she had become fell to the floor. Gheleon lost his head to Dan's hammer, crumpling in the seconds after the hammer vanished.

Odin knelt down to grab something, and Luna saw the axe disappear like hers had done. "Young Wolf, finish this."

This time when she put the code in, SIVA couldn't stop her. It had nothing else to throw at them. In the end, the code started the self destruct, and they had to sprint back down the hallway, Fallen trying to stop them but failing just like the rest had. They barely made it out of the doors before they shut behind them and an explosion shook the cavern; the deed was done.

"Well done, Young Wolf. SIVA is gone, and the Iron Lords are at peace. Return to the Iron Temple, you've earned a reward."

Even when they were in flight back to the Temple, Luna felt like something was wrong. Some strange feeling burned into her heart that she couldn't explain. When her feet touched the tops of the stairs before the Temple itself, Odin set a ruined helmet in her hands. "This is Jolder's. It was the only thing I could grab...She was special to Saladin, I'm sure he'd appreciate this."

Nodding, Luna went in without them, holding out the helmet before Saladin could even speak.

"Thank you, she will be honored." With that he accepted the helmet and set it by her statue. "Brothers and Sisters, I will see you soon."

Lifting a sword up, he turned back to her and held it out to her. "Once, Iron Lords carried blades like this. But, this one is new, the forge within the Temple has started up again for a new generation of Wolves. Thank you, and may you honor them with all of your deeds to come."

__She felt proud...but that feeling still clutched her heart...


	52. A Well Deserved Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireteam Kronyz gets together and takes a load off, thinking back on everything that's happened, and what the future might hold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Let me begin with saying, that for everyone who stuck around this long, and made it to the end, thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this, and hope that you'll come with me to read the next adventure of Fireteam Kronyz, which I hope to at least start today!

Luna sat herself down on the couch between Hersh and Rayn, the two Veterans taking the chairs across the table from them. The trio had returned to the Tower not long after informing Saladin of what had transpired, something that Luna knew would have killed them to tell, so she'd taken it upon herself to explain what went down inside the Replication Chamber. It had been a terrifying scene; once great Guardians, true defenders of the peace, mutated into such abominations by SIVA.

_They've put down other Guardians before, but people they knew, friends of theirs? I can't imagine that pain._

The thought struck her; what if they ever needed to be put down themselves? The simple thought of fighting against Dan or Odin, having to kill them, brought a wave of nausea to her.

_If this is even remotely like what they're feeling...By the Traveler..._

Bianca had sent a message over their Ghosts earlier. She'd heard of their time in the Plaguelands and decided that she'd get them all food, a meal to celebrate their survival, and to wind down from a clearly stressful mission. It would do them good, that air of safety, warmth, that Luna always felt whenever the Fireteam ate together like a family, would ease at least her own worries, if not the Veterans' as well.

As if her thoughts had summoned her, Bianca came through the door to the apartment with a crate in her arms, placing it on the table with a smile on her face. "Food's here, let's dig in everybody!"

Just like Odin had, she'd brought everyone's favorites and handed them out so no one had to find it themselves. Helmets came off in an instant so that the aroma of food could be breathed in, enjoyed before they dug in with such vigor.

It took longer than she thought it would, but soon enough the tension bled out of the two Veterans, their shoulders lowering just enough to be relaxed, and she let a smile grace her lips.

_They'll be okay soon enough..._

Bianca leaned back in her seat, slurping her noodles in relative silence for a while until she seemed to remember something important. "Oh! Saladin passed along a message to the Vanguard, told them to give you guys some time off. So, until they say otherwise you're free to do whatever you want."

Dan rubbed the back of his neck, lounging in his seat with the empty bowl still held in his lap when he nodded to her words, sucking in a breath that seemed like the first he'd properly taken all day. "I'm probably going to go to the Forge then, maybe spend a few days there, unwind."

Odin looked to be having similar thoughts, confirming it for Luna when he sighed. "And I'll most likely go out into the Wild, find a tree to lounge in and do a bit of hunting. Who knows, whatever I can find to unwind myself too."

_I'll probably spend time with Matthew, maybe I'll work alongside him and Eva for a while._

Bianca turned to Rayn, motioning over to Hersh. "Meanwhile, they've got a few patrols for the two of you if you're itching for some time out in the field. A mission on the Moon, and another out in the Plaguelands. I'll let the two of you decide who gets which one. For now, just relax; there's no rush to finish them, they didn't give a deadline."

Luna lost herself in her thoughts for a moment; they'd done so much in the time that she'd been a Guardian, and it...it felt amazing to her. But, at the same time, she didn't know what would happen next. They'd taken out Hive Gods, Fallen Gods, the Taken, all that left were the Cabal, but from what she'd read, and heard, no one knew where the true commanding officer of the Cabal military was, if they were even in this system.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a knock on the door to the apartment, and her Ghost speaking up. "Eris Morn is at the door, she seems to be...nervous."

Rayn visibly tensed up, but Odin rose to his feet before anyone else and strode to the door. He had expected a typical Eris, but when the door opened he found her hunched over far more than usually, and she...she looked almost scared

"Greetings, Odin. I was hoping to speak with you."

She stepped back, letting him follow her out the door so he could close it behind him.

All were curious, but none dared eavesdrop.

Outside, Eris was watching Odin like a hawk, fingers reaching up to brush over his scarf, still stained red from so long ago. "I have seen things, heard whispers of what's to come. There's a storm brewing and the Vanguard choose not to listen. I can't be here with all of you when it hits. I've already spoken with our mutual friend, you were the only other person I wished to speak with."

"Are you sure? Do you truly have to go? You can fight at our side again, we'll pull through like we've always done."

"Not this time my friend. I can't be here for it. Be on guard for what dangers may come for you."

To his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him in the briefest of hugs before pulling away. Calling over her shoulder, she vanished around the corner to leave behind only "Beware the red storm."

There was no telling what she meant, but he didn't let himself dwell on it. Time would give him an answer.

Opening the door, he cast one last look to the sky above the Tower, clutching at the scarf wrapped around his neck.

Little did he know, the storm was closer than they all thought.

Would Fireteam Kronyz be ready?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! This is it everyone, the final chapter; I know it probably wasn't all that exciting, but I wanted it to be a little more...relaxing, like the chapter itself is winding us all down. After all, we'll be going to join in on their adventures in the next story! Hope we'll be seeing each other again soon!


End file.
